


Salvation

by Heavenly_Pearl



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Manga), Sailor Moon - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Angst, Drama, F/M, Romance, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-14
Updated: 2013-02-14
Packaged: 2017-11-29 06:51:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 23,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/684079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heavenly_Pearl/pseuds/Heavenly_Pearl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On the night of Lost Souls', Father Helios rescues a young maiden collapsed in the snow, unaware that she is really a vampire. When he discovers the truth, he makes a promise to help her regain her mortality. Serenity doubts such a thing is possible, but maybe with enough faith, she can be saved.</p><p>WARNINGS: Sexual situations, some mentions of suicide, and possible character death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Salvation

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Naoko Takeuchi.
> 
> AUTHOR'S NOTES: Any comments or criticisms can be sent to me at ElysionDream@aol.com.
> 
> “Sanguis mortis” is Latin for “blood of death”.
> 
> This story, originally titled “On A Snowy Night”, began its life as an entry written for a contest at the sailormoonland community at Livejournal. We were asked to write a “What If?” AU based on several provided scenarios. I chose to write a vampire fic set in a fantasy world based loosely on Victorian-era England, which ended up placing third in the contest. Afterwards, however, I got the urge to expand it into a longer story, which you’ll find below. The first two scenes made up the original contest entry, with a few minor changes; the rest are new. It’s my first time writing an AU, but I hope you enjoy!

Father Helios pulled his cloak tight around his body, his breath visible in the freezing air. He would be glad to finally return home. It was a miserable night, and he longed for nothing more than to sit down in front of a roaring fire with a bowl of Sister Eos's delicious stew.

"We're almost there, Peg," he assured his white steed, knowing the horse was tired after the long trip to town. "Just hold on a little - Whoa!" Helios pulled on the reins, signaling Pegasus to halt, and dismounted.

Up ahead, he could just barely make out the shape of somebody collapsed on the side of the road, half-buried in the snow. Helios ran over and dropped to his knees, taking the unconscious woman into his arms. "Miss?" He lightly shook her, fearing the worse as there was no sign that she was still breathing. "Young maiden?"

The maiden's eyelids fluttered open, revealing eyes that were as crimson as fresh blood. They were a striking contrast against her pale skin, which seemed to almost glow in the moonlight. Helios, noticing that she was wearing only a black, off-the-shoulder evening gown, an expensive-looking ruby necklace, and a pair of opera gloves, shrugged off his cloak and wrapped it around her bared shoulders.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm…fine…" She seemed dazed and confused.

"Can you stand?" Helios helped her get back to her feet, wondering what a high society girl like her was doing in the middle of nowhere, dressed like that in a snowstorm. Had she been attacked, then dumped to die? "My house is only a half-mile away," he said. "I'll take you there."

"No, I couldn't…"

"Nonsense. This storm is going to get worse before it gets better. I insist you at least stay the night."

The woman leaned up against him, which Helios took as a sign of acceptance. He led her back to Pegasus and helped her mount the horse, then took the seat behind her, thinking his body heat might help warm her. Her skin was as cold as ice.

"You're freezing," the maiden said, noticing his shivers a few minutes later. "Please, take your cloak back. I don't need it."

He shook his head. "Your garb is much flimsier than mine, and you've probably been out here for hours. You must be chilled to the bone."

"But -"

"Keep it. We're almost there anyway." He held up his lamp toward the church up ahead, Elysion Abbey.

"Y-You live there? In the church?"

"Yes, I'm the parish priest." He frowned. She must not have noticed his collar in the darkness. "Is something wrong?"

"I can't - I'm not welcome."

"All of God's children are welcome in His house, even those who others might judge unworthy. There's no reason to be afraid."

"Stop!" She yanked the reins out of his hands and brought Pegasus to a halt. "I-I can't!" she cried, dismounting the horse. "Please, don't make me!"

"It's okay, maiden," he said, alarmed by the look of fear in her eyes. What had she done to make her feel so ashamed that she couldn't even bear the thought of entering a church? "We needn't enter the church itself if you would rather not. I'll take you to the rectory, where I live." Helios offered his hand. "Please stay with me. My conscience won't allow me to let you run off in this weather alone. Once the storm passes, I'll take you home."

"I…have no home," she whispered in a mournful voice. "Not anymore."

After a moment of hesitation, the woman took his hand and allowed Helios to pull her back up on the horse. They arrived at the abbey about five minutes later, where they were greeted by one of the nuns outside the church.

"Sister Aurora!" Helios dismounted Pegasus, and after helping the woman down, walked over to the nun. "What are you doing outside? You'll catch your death of cold!"

"Sister Eos and I were growing worried when you hadn't returned when you said you would. I'm so glad you are safe, Father Helios," Aurora said. "What happened?" For the first time, she noticed their guest.

"I found her collapsed on the side of the road. This is -" It occurred to Helios that he never asked for the woman's name. "Forgive me, maiden. I never properly introduced myself. I'm Father Helios Horn, and this is Sister Aurora, one of the nuns who live in the abbey."

"My name is Sereni- Serena."

Helios took note that she didn't provide a surname, but decided not to press her about it.

"What a lovely name," Aurora said, stepping forward and taking one of Serena's hands between her own. "You poor girl, you must be starving. Come, let's go inside the church and warm you up."

At the mention of the church, Serena yanked her hand away and began walking backwards, shaking her head.

"She is afraid to enter the church," Helios informed Aurora in a low voice. "I told her she could stay with me in the rectory instead."

"But, Father, it isn't proper -"

"You know I am an honorable man. She will be safe with me."

Aurora sighed, but acquiesced. "I suppose it will be fine for one night."

"Thank you," he said, handing the nun Pegasus' reins. "I need to get Miss Serena inside. After feeding him, will you bring her a change of clothes and some extra blankets?"

"Of course, Father."

Helios led Serena to the nearby rectory and entered the cottage to find a fire already blazing in the fireplace and the aroma of stew perfuming the air. "The sisters must have prepared things, anticipating my return," he said as he brushed the flakes off his clothes, thankful to be somewhere warm and dry. "Bless them."

Serena, however, remained outside the door, standing in place like a statue.

"Come," he said, motioning for her to follow him. "Don't be shy. You're letting all the cold air inside."

His guest stepped inside and closed the door behind her while Helios took a seat in one of the two tattered armchairs in front of the hearth, extending his frozen hands toward the cackling fire to warm them. "Fire must surely be one of God's greatest gifts to man," he mused aloud, noticing that Serena was still standing beside the door, his cloak folded over her arm. A small puddle of melting snow had already formed at her feet. "Come, sit by the fire," he said, indicating the other chair. "Make yourself at home. The fire will warm you until Sister Aurora returns with a change of clothes."

"I-I'm fine over here."

Helios frowned. What was it about this girl that made her reluctant to accept any form of kindness or assistance from him when she obviously needed it? At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Since Serena was closest, she answered it.

"Here are some things for you, dear," Aurora said, passing her a stack of clothes and blankets. "If you need anything else, please let us know. We don't have much, but whatever we do have is yours."

"T-Thank you. Goodnight, Sister."

"Goodnight."

After Aurora left, Helios stood back up. "My room is through there," he said, pointing to the door that led to his bedroom. "You can change in there. I'll set the table for dinner."

Serena nodded her understanding and walked to the bedroom.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As to be expected of a poor parish priest, Father Helios' bedroom was small and only contained the barest of necessities - a bed large enough for only one person, a small wardrobe, a mirror, and a nightstand with a Bible and a strand of rosary beads placed on top of it. A wooden cross was nailed above the headboard, providing the only piece of decoration.

Princess Lady Serenity averted her eyes from it.

She set the stack of clothes and blankets Sister Aurora had provided her on the bed and began stripping out of her wet dress. Though she wasn't chilled in the slightest, it would raise suspicions with the priest if she didn't change. She knew he already thought her strange.

Then again, she wasn't exactly normal.

Normal humans felt cold when it snowed, and could see their breath crystallize in the air. Normal humans were drawn to fire, not repelled by it. Normal humans found solace in stepping inside a church, not fear. Normal humans didn't possess red eyes and pink hair.

Normal humans saw a reflection of themselves when they looked into a mirror.

Serenity shuddered as she stood in front of the mirror hanging on the wall and saw nothing staring back at her. If she still had the ability, she would have broken down in tears.

"I never should have let him seduce me," she whispered, her hand traveling to a certain spot on her neck after she took off her necklace. The area was already healed, thanks to her enhanced powers, but she could still vividly recall the pain of his fangs sinking into her flesh, even as he brought her to the edge of ecstasy.

She'd been so naïve. Lady Vesta had warned her to stay away from Lord Hawkeye, informing her of the rumored fate that had befallen his previous lover, Lady Ceres, but she had been swayed by his pretty words and extravagant gifts. A vampire? She had laughed at the very idea. No such creature existed outside of novels.

Yet there was no more denying it.

Vampires existed…and now she was one.

A knock on the door startled her from her thoughts. "Miss Serena, dinner is ready," the priest said.

"Coming!"

Serenity quickly changed into the modest dress the nun had loaned her and joined Father Helios at the dining table. Food no longer held any taste for her, but she made a valiant attempt at eating the stew while avoiding the priest's questions about what had happened to her and who she really was. It was fortunate that he didn't seem to recognize her as the princess. Then again, she was rarely allowed to leave palace.

After dinner, Father Helios insisted she take his room. Serenity tried to refuse his offer, since, as a vampire, she was now a nocturnal being, but he wouldn't hear of it. She retired to the bedroom and lay awake on the bed until she was certain the priest was asleep.

She needed to leave this place, but not only did she have nowhere else to go, she was becoming thirsty for blood. The stew had not quelled her hunger in the slightest.

Several times, her eyes darted toward the door. Though the sleeping priest would be easy prey, he had been nothing but kind to her. She didn't want to kill him - or anybody, for that matter - yet she didn't see any other choice if she wanted to stay alive.

Serenity tiptoed back to the parlor, where she found Father Helios asleep in the chair in front of the fireplace. He was still fully dressed, although he had removed the white collar that marked his profession from around his neck. It was like an open invitation, and Serenity's new fangs extended in anticipation, her tongue running along her top set of teeth.

 _He really is quite handsome_ , she thought, straddling his lap. The priest shifted his position, but didn't awaken, rolling his head back so that his neck was fully exposed.

It was the perfect opportunity. Every instinct in her body told her to bite him, to drink of his blood - but she couldn't do it.

Between the two of them, she was the one who deserved to die, not him. "Forgive me, Father," Serenity whispered, caressing his cheek. "Thank you for everything, but someone like me is beyond your help. Goodbye, and sweet dreams."

With those final words, Princess Lady Serenity fled the rectory, knowing she would die when the morning came and the sunlight burned her skin to ashes.

Perhaps, in her death, she would find her salvation.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Helios' eyes shot open, startled from his slumber by the howl of the wind. The fire had nearly died out, leaving behind only a few glowing embers. Shivering, he stood up from the chair and walked over to the window, where he drew back the curtain. Outside, the storm had turned into a full-blown blizzard. He couldn't even see the church through the flurry of snow coming down.

"I pray for the poor souls who are out in this weather tonight," he said to himself, lighting a lantern. As it was Lost Souls' Day, many people were bound to be attending the popular masquerades that were held to celebrate the holiday.

Helios didn't think he would be able to get much sleep, what with the wind and the cold and lack of a proper bed. He decided it was as good a time as any to work on his homily for next Sunday's Mass, but remembered that he had left his Bible in his bedroom. After a moment of hesitation, he softly knocked on the door to the room where his guest was sleeping.

"Miss Serena?" He spoke in a whisper, not wanting to awaken her if she was sleeping. "Are you awake?"

She apparently wasn't, since there was no answer. Helios sighed, bringing his hand back down. It seemed he would have to find some other way to occupy his time.

 _Well, perhaps if I do it quietly…_ he thought, his hand reaching for the doorknob and twisting it.

Helios pushed the door open, taking care to avert his eyes from the bed. He focused instead on the thick book on the nightstand. Keeping as quiet as humanly possible, he tiptoed across the floor and grabbed the Bible, but as he turned to leave, he tripped on something and fell onto the bed.

"Forgive me!" he blurted out, shutting his eyes. "I just came in to get my Bible. I didn't mean -"

He paused, wondering why he hadn't heard any shrieks or shouts. With his free hand, he felt around for signs of another body in the bed, but all he touched was his pillow. Confused, Helios pried open one of his eyes to discover that the girl was missing.

"Miss Serena?" With both eyes opened, he stood back up and began searching the rest of the house for his guest. "Miss Serena, where are you? Miss Serena!"

Helios checked everywhere, but Serena had vanished. Growing more worried with every passing moment, he pulled on his cloak and went back out into the storm. Considering how she had reacted earlier, it was doubtful that she would have gone to the church, but he decided to check anyway.

"Sister Eos! Sister Aurora!" he yelled over the howling winds as he pounded on the door. "It's me. Open up, Sister Aurora! Sister Eos!"

It took a few more times, but finally somebody answered the door. "Father Helios?" Eos mumbled, rubbing at her eyes. "It's almost midnight. What are you -"

"Is Miss Serena here?" he asked, interrupting her.

"Miss Serena? You mean the girl you brought home?" Eos frowned. "I thought Sister Aurora said she was staying with you at the rectory."

"She was, but she's missing."

"I'm sorry, but we haven't seen her."

As a priest, Helios wasn't prone to swearing, but he had to fight the urge not to let out a few choice oaths. "That girl! She must have run off into the storm." He turned to leave.

"Wait! You don't intend to go looking for her, do you?"

Looking back, he sighed. "What other choice do I have? I can't very well let her freeze to death out there."

"Then let us come with you," Eos offered. "Wait a moment. I'll get dressed and wake Sister Aurora up. Three pairs of eyes will be better than one."

Helios shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, Sister, but I can't ask you two to go out into this storm. It's much too dangerous."

"But -"

"If you want to help, then pray to God that He shall lead me to Miss Serena before it is too late."

"We will," she promised, "but do be careful, Father."

"I will do my best."

In preparation to leave, Helios returned to the rectory, where he changed into some warmer clothes and packed some provisions in case they were needed. He then headed to the stables, saddling Pegasus up for the second time that day. "I know you're tired, boy," he said to the horse, feeding him a carrot, "but I ask you to bear with me for a few more hours."

The two of them set out into the snowstorm a short time later, fighting against the bitterly cold winds. Even with all the layers of clothing he wore, Helios was chilled to the bone within seconds. It was also near impossible to see, the snow was falling so heavily.

"Oh, Miss Serena, what on Earth possessed you to go out into this storm?" he wondered aloud, holding up his lantern.

They had managed to reach the main road leading into town, but Helios had no clue as to what direction Serena had gone. Whatever footprints she might have left behind had already been covered by a layer of fresh snow. He decided at random to turn left, praying that was the path she had taken.

"Miss Serena! Miss Serena!"

He shouted her name until his throat burned like fire. On foot, she couldn't have made it far, especially in such dreadful weather, but there was no sign of her anywhere. Still, Helios soldiered on, unwilling to give up hope that he would find her.

Hours soon passed. Pegasus looked as if he would pass out at any moment, and Helios wasn't fairing much better. Tired and cold, he nearly fell off the horse three times, and he couldn't stop shivering. With the chance of ever finding Serena growing slim, Helios signaled Pegasus to come to a stop and dismounted. They would rest for a few moments, then head back to the church. He hated the thought of abandoning Serena, but it would be a miracle if she had managed to survive this long in the storm. She was most likely already dead.

Feeling disoriented, Helios stumbled over to a nearby tree. He collapsed against the trunk and struggled to open his bag for some food, but his hands were frozen and failed to cooperate. His eyelids feeling as heavy as lead, Helios closed his eyes.

The snow continued to fall.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Serenity felt much stronger.

Unable to deny her bloodlust any longer, she had stopped at a nearby forest. Most of the animals there were hibernating, so it was quite easy to find some prey to quench her thirst. She imagined that animal blood wasn't quite as satisfying as human blood, but it was an adequate enough substitute.

Once she was finished, she headed back to the main road, undeterred by the wind and snow. It was then she noticed a white horse without a rider, neighing and snorting loudly.

"A horse? What is he doing out here?"

Serenity intended to ignore him, having already had her fill of blood, but something about the horse made her take another look. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was Father Helios' horse. Serenity frowned. What was his name, again?

"Pegasus?"

At the sound of his name, the horse came up to her, allowing her to pet him. "Why are you here?" she asked. There was a saddle on his back, meaning it unlikely he had escaped from the stables. "Where is your master?"

Almost as if the horse understood her, Pegasus jerked his head toward one of the trees. Serenity brought a hand to her mouth upon seeing Father Helios sitting underneath it, covered with snow and seemingly unconscious.

"Father Helios!"

She rushed over and kneeled down beside him. "Father Helios! Father Helios, wake up!" she shouted, shaking him by the shoulders.

The priest briefly opened his eyes and mumbled something incomprehensible, but fell unconscious once again. No matter how hard Serenity shook him, he wouldn't wake up.

"This is all my fault," she said mournfully. "You must have noticed I had left the rectory and decided to look for me. You stupid, stupid, sweet man! I can't believe you would go through all this trouble for someone like me…"

Serenity tossed Helios' arm over her shoulder and pulled them both to their feet. She needed to get the priest somewhere warm, and fast. If she remembered correctly, she had passed a house about a quarter of a mile back. She would leave the priest with whoever lived there, and hopefully they would be able to properly tend to him.

"Pegasus, follow me," she said, grabbing the horse's reins. "We're going to get some help."

Even with her vampire-enhanced strength, it was a struggle to walk in the snow with an unconscious man on her back. It took roughly about half an hour until they reached a farmhouse. Before going up to the main house, Serenity took Pegasus to the stables, which were surprisingly empty. She decided to leave Helios there as well, thinking it better that he get out of the cold.

"I'll be right back," she promised the priest before leaving.

Serenity sprinted across the yard and began banging on the front door of the house. "Hello, I need some help!" she yelled. "There's a man… He's unconscious and frozen. Please, somebody help him! Hello? Is anybody home?"

There was no answer. Serenity sighed and leaned her back against the door. What was she supposed to do now? Helios probably wouldn't survive long enough to make the trek to another house. She could leave him in the stables, but even that wasn't much shelter from the cold.

Her hand brushed against the doorknob. It was a long-shot, but Serenity turned around and twisted it, surprised when the door swung open at her touch. From what she remembered of vampire myths, vampires could not enter someone's house uninvited, yet she was able to walk through the doorway with no problem.

"Hello? Is anybody here?" she called out just in case.

The house appeared to be abandoned. All the furniture had been covered with sheets, and there were no personal items on display. Serenity took a short tour of the house, searching for any sign that somebody lived there, but she was quite alone, save for a small mouse that nearly scared her half to death - figuratively speaking, of course - when it ran out in front of her.

She hurried back out to the stables to bring Helios inside. The priest was still unconscious, and his lips were turning a disturbing shade of blue. From reading some of her father's medical texts - he had a strong interest in the field - Serenity suspected Helios was suffering from hypothermia. As quickly as she could, she carried him inside the house and took him upstairs to the bedroom. There, she placed him on the bed and tried to remember what she had read in her father's books.

 _The first thing I need to do is change him out of those wet clothes_ , she thought. Grabbing the bag Helios had been holding when she found him, Serenity dug inside, hoping to find a change of clothes. She found a couple of blankets, some food, and the clothes Sister Aurora had lent her, but he hadn't thought to pack extra clothes for himself, much to Serenity's dismay.

She began checking the dresser and wardrobe, hoping against hope that the previous owners had left some of their unwanted clothes behind. Both were empty, save for a few half-used candles and some matches. Serenity didn't need the candles, since her red vampire eyes afforded her increased visibility in the dark, but she set the matches aside for later, knowing that she would have to build a fire for Helios eventually.

Having no other choice, she began stripping Helios of his wet clothes. Though he wore several layers, the melted snow had soaked through all of them, including his undergarments. Serenity blushed as she pulled off the final layers, glad that he was still unconscious, and covered him with the blankets. She then started going around the house, gathering every sheet and blanket she could find.

Upon returning to the bedroom, she layered the sheets on top of Helios, tucking them around him like a cocoon. She hoped they would be enough to warm him.

Next came the fire. By chance, a log had been left behind in the bedroom fireplace. Serenity reached for the box of matches she had discovered in the dresser, but her hand shook violently as she took one out and prepared to strike it. "Serenity, you have to do this," she said to herself. "It's only fire. You were never afraid of fire before; why start now just because you're a vampire? You're being ridiculous."

Somehow, through sheer force of will, she managed to stop her hand from shaking long enough to ignite the fire. Hot flames burst forth, chasing away the chill in the air and providing some light. The cold hadn't bothered her, but Serenity had to admit the heat was pleasant, though she was careful never to stand too close to the fireplace.

Every ten minutes or so, she checked on Helios' condition. The color had begun to return to his face, but his skin was still cold to the touch, and he remained unconscious. His pulse seemed to be growing weaker, as well.

Serenity didn't know what else to do. She thought about boiling some water, but she remembered from her father's books that applying direct heat to a hypothermia patient could send the body into shock. Rubbing, likewise, was not recommended.

"If I turned him into a vampire…"

She shook her head, quickly dismissing that thought. True, turning him would probably save him from death, but the price was too high. Helios was obviously a man of great faith; she could not condemn his soul to an eternity of torment as a vampire, even if it would save his life. Besides, Serenity wasn't even sure how to turn someone. She could just as easily kill him if she tried.

She had to do something, though. If it wasn't for her, he never would have journeyed outside in the blizzard, looking for her. If he died because of her…

Serenity bit on her thumbnail, pacing about the room. There was something she was forgetting, some medical case she vaguely remembered hearing a female doctor friend of her parents' telling them about over dinner. "Think, Serenity, think!" she muttered. "What did Dr. Waters say? Something about how a man and a woman miraculously survived being stranded in a snowstorm. I remember Mama being scandalized when she heard about it, but Papa assured her it was a perfectly legitimate treatment for hyperthermia… That's it!"

She abruptly came to a stop and ran a hand over her arm. Despite the fact that her body no longer produced its own heat, her skin was comfortably warm thanks to the fire. It might just work.

Serenity slowly began stripping out of her clothes. She'd only been intimate with one man in her life, but she had to remind herself that what she was about to do was perfectly innocent. There was nothing for her to feel ashamed about; she was only attempting to save Helios' life. Still, she hesitated for a moment before slipping underneath the pile of blankets, fully nude, and pressing herself against the priest's back.

"Please let this work," she silently prayed, burying her face into his shoulder. "Please."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Helios stirred awake a couple of hours later.

The first thing he noticed was the faded floral print paper that covered the walls instead of the dull brown he was accustomed to seeing when he awoke in the mornings. Helios blinked in confusion, thinking he must have been hallucinating things, but the pretty pink roses remained where they were, solid and real. _Where am I?_ he wondered, struggling to recall his most recent memories.

He remembered snow. And the cold - a deep, bitter cold that seemed like it would freeze him to his very core. He had been looking for something…or someone. Pegasus? One of the nuns? No, it was a girl. He remembered now. A young maiden with long pink hair and eyes the color of blood…

"Miss…Serena," he said in a raspy voice, unaware that he had said the girl's name aloud until he heard a soft moan in reply.

Helios' body went stiff, and he became aware of other things, namely the fact that somebody had their arms wrapped around him. Furthermore, he was completely naked and could feel somebody else's bare, slightly cool skin touching his. He suspected the softness he felt pressed against his back was a pair of breasts.

He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. _What have I done?_

As a priest, he had taken a vow of chastity. As a man, of course he still felt sexual desire - he would be lying if he claimed otherwise - but his faith and devotion to the Church had always been strong enough to overcome such carnal temptations.

Disengaging himself from the woman's embrace, Helios sat up and looked to his right. The sleeping woman - Serena - had rolled over on her back, throwing an arm over her eyes. Her naked breasts were on full display - round and perky - and Helios sucked in a sharp breath at the sight of them, feeling a hardness form between his legs. Quickly, he grabbed one of the numerous blankets that had been wrapped around them and covered her nudity. He then turned his back to her and sat with his head in his hands as he struggled to make sense of what had happened between them.

His movements must have woken her up. "Father Helios?"

Helios twisted around at the sound of his name, caught by surprise when Serena threw herself at him, her arms wrapped around his neck and her breasts pressed against his chest. "You're alive!" she exclaimed. "I'm so glad. I thought…" She shook her head, her hold on him tightening. "Never mind what I thought. The important thing is you survived!"

"Um…er…" Looking upwards at the ceiling, Helios helplessly held up his hands, unsure of what to do in such a situation. The only thing he knew was that they both needed to get dressed - the sooner, the better. "Miss Serena, I think we ought to -"

Serena suddenly screamed, her fingernails digging into his skin. It was a sound of pure agony, like a wicked soul being devoured by the fires of Hell. Helios looked down and gasped as he pulled aside her loose hair and saw what appeared to be a sunburn quickly forming on her bare back.

His eyes darted to the sole window in the room. It was daybreak, and the first rays of sun were passing through the dirty glass. Helios reached for one of the blankets on the bed and threw it over her. He then jumped up from the bed and ran to the window, drawing close the heavy velvet curtains. Once the sunlight had been blocked, Serena's screams softened to a whimper.

"M-Miss Serena?" Helios walked back to the bed, where Serena was still hiding underneath the blanket. "Miss Serena, what happened? That burn on your back… Please, look at me. I want to help you. Miss Serena?"

After a long moment, Serena stood up and pulled down the blanket so that her naked body was fully revealed. Helios glanced away, yet Serena didn't seem to care about her modesty.

"Look," she said.

With some hesitation, Helios looked back over at her. It wasn't just her back; her entire body was covered in patches of that strange sunburn. Helios brought a hand to his mouth, but Serena wasn't even looking at him. Instead, she was staring at something in the corner of the room. Helios followed her gaze to a full-length mirror standing there and saw his own reflection staring back at him.

What he didn't see was hers.

"Y-You're a - You're a -" He sat down on the bed, overwhelmed. He couldn't even say the word aloud, so Serena said it for him.

"Vampire."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fully dressed, Serenity returned to the bedroom about fifteen minutes later. She had left Father Helios sitting on the bed, in shock over what he had just learned. She couldn't fault him for his reaction. It wasn't every day you met a supposedly mythical creature, after all.

Upon reaching the door to the bedroom, she lightly knocked. "Father Helios, may I come in?"

There was a long pause before the door finally creaked open. Helios stared out at her through the crack, his face nearly as white as hers.

"I don't intend to harm you, Father," she said. "If I wanted to kill you, I've had ample opportunity already. Please, I only want to talk. I know you must have some questions."

Helios nodded and opened the door further, allowing her to enter. During the time she was gone, he had dressed as well. He went to stand by the fire, no doubt as a means of defense against her, while she idled at the door.

"How are you feeling?" Serenity asked when Helios had yet to say anything to her. "I tried my best to keep you warm, but with this body…"

His eyes widened slightly. "Is that… Is that why we were sharing a bed?"

"Of course. You didn't think that we -?" The visible look of relief on his face made it clear he had. "No, I would never -" Serenity shook her head. "I remembered a story a doctor friend of the family told me," she explained. "She said a couple she knew once managed to survive being stranded in a snowstorm by huddling together naked under a blanket. I wasn't sure if it would work in our case, but I had to at least try. You looked so close to death… "

"Thank you," he said. A little of the fear in his eyes seemed to disappear, though he still remained standing by the fireplace. "I appreciate it."

"You shouldn't have been out there in that weather." Serenity, feeling a bit more welcome, came further inside and took a seat on the four-post bed. "I didn't need to be rescued."

"I didn't know that at the time. I never would have thought you were actually a… a…"

"Vampire?" Serenity gave him a small smile. Even she still had trouble believing it at times.

"Yes, that."

"I appreciate that you cared enough to look for me, though. I know it was rude of me to leave without saying anything, but I couldn't stay there."

"Why?"

"Why?" She furrowed her eyebrows, confused by the question. "Isn't it obvious why? I'm a vampire; you're a priest."

"If I had known -"

"What? You would have still invited me into your home, knowing what I was?"

"I…don't know." Letting out a sigh, Helios turned around and rested his forehead against the mantle. "I don't think you're a monster, Miss Serena," he said in a soft voice. "I meant what I said when we first met: 'All of God's children are welcome in His house, even those who others might judge unworthy.' You may be a vampire, but you are still one of God's children. Nothing can change that."

Serenity looked down at the floor. "I wonder if you would still say that if you knew some of the things I've done, Father," she murmured. "I'm not some innocent maiden."

"Everyone, without exception, sins. That's a part of being human." He turned back around. "I want to help you, Miss Serena."

"How?"

He shook his head. "I don't know, but there must be something we can do to save you from this fate."

Serenity doubted that. The right thing for her to do was allow herself to be burned by the sun's rays as she had originally planned, although after the pain she felt earlier that morning, she had lost some of her resolve. She brushed her fingers against the sunburned skin of her arm, wondering if she would be considered a horrible person if she admitted that a part of her wanted to continue living, even as a so-called "monster".

"Do you really think there is a way to turn me back into a human?" she asked in a low voice.

"I refuse to believe that there isn't," Helios declared. "With God's help, anything is possible."

Serenity looked up at the priest, moved by the confidence in his words. "You sincerely believe that, don't you?"

"I do."

"I don't know…" She stood up and wrapped her arms around herself. "My faith is not as strong as yours, Father. I want to believe it is possible, but I can only feel as if God has forsaken me."

"Then believe in me, Miss Serena." Helios stepped forward and placed his hands against her cheeks. His eyes looked straight into hers. "I will not forsake you. Not ever."

There was something about the way he looked at her, with such honesty and compassion, that touched Serenity to her very core. He reminded her of her own beloved father, who she adored above all else. When she was younger, she believed there was nothing her father couldn't do. The same feeling welled up in her again as she embraced the kind priest in gratitude.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you."

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After excusing himself to allow Serena to get some sleep, Helios went downstairs and took a look outside through one of the windows. It was no longer snowing, but at least two feet of the white powder had fallen overnight. Even if Serena had been able to travel during daylight hours, they were essentially trapped inside the farmhouse until some of the snow melted.

Helios frowned, worried about Pegasus. Serena mentioned that she had taken the horse to the stables, but he doubted such a rundown building provided much warmth from the bitter cold. He tried opening the front door, only to have a pile of snow topple inside.

"Okay, bad idea," he said, shivering from the blast of cold air that hit him. It was warmer than yesterday, but only a few degrees above freezing by his estimation. It would take a while for the snow to melt. He quickly closed the door and cleaned up the snow as best he could before building a new fire in the downstairs' fireplace.

Once that was done, Helios pulled up a chair and sat down to think about what they would do next. It was easy to say he wanted to help Serena, but he was at a lost as to how to do so. He supposed the most pressing matter at the moment was to decide where she could stay while he attempted to find a cure for her vampirism.

The abbey was not an option, for obvious reasons. He considered the possibility of her permanently moving into the farmhouse, which appeared to be abandoned, but he recognized the property as the old Rosewood farm. The previous owner - a young woman named Lita Rosewood - had put the farm up for sale a few months ago after the tragic death of her parents. Mina Lovejoy, one of his parishioners, was one of Lita's closest friends, and had mentioned during confessional a few weeks ago that the farm had been sold to a Lord Kunzite, a rich bachelor with whom Mina was currently engaged in a passionate affair. (Mina's confessions were always most…salacious, to put it politely.) Renovations on the property were set to begin in less than a week, meaning that Serena could not stay there.

It seemed the only choice was to continue to let her stay with him in the rectory, although it would be a risk if anyone were to discover he was co-habituating with an unmarried woman. No matter how innocent the arrangement, there was bound to be gossip if she was discovered. If Serena stayed in the cellar during daylight hours, though, they could probably keep her presence a secret.

He just hated the thought of keeping things from the nuns. Helios prided himself on being an honest man; he was a terrible liar. He feared Eos and Aurora would take one look at him and know in an instant he was hiding something.

Helios sighed, leaning his head against the back of his chair. Was he being foolish, offering to help a vampire become human again? The words had slipped out of his mouth before he even had a chance to think about what he was saying. It was his nature to help those in need, but perhaps Serena was beyond his help. As far as he knew, there was no way to turn a vampire back into a human. He was more than likely giving her a false hope.

He shook his head. No, there had to be a cure.

He had to have faith.

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When Serenity woke up next, it was already nighttime. She climbed out of bed and walked over to the window, pulling open the curtains. It was the night of the full moon, and the moonlight bathed the snow-covered scenery in a gentle light. It was a stunning sight to behold, certainly, but as she stared up at the night sky, she wondered if she would ever be able to see the sun again, or if she was condemned to spend an eternity in darkness.

It was amazing the things she had once taken for granted. She never thought much about the sun before. She had enjoyed the warmth of sunlight on her skin and beautiful sunny days, of course, but she never stopped to truly appreciate any of it.

A soft knock on the door startled her from her thoughts. "Come in," she said, turning back around.

"Oh, you're awake," Father Helios said, stepping inside. "Good. The snow has melted some, but I wouldn't be surprised if more fell later tonight. We should probably set out while it is still clear."

"Wait, where are we going?"

"Back to the rectory."

"The rectory?" She frowned. "But I assumed I would stay here. The house seems abandoned..."

"It's not," Helios said. He stopped for a moment to let out a sneeze. "Pardon me." Pulling out a handkerchief, he continued, "It was recently sold, and the owner is preparing to renovate."

"Oh, I see. Then where will I stay?" Serenity asked. She would be fine outdoors during the night hours, but she needed shelter from the sun during the day.

"With me."

She shook her head. "Oh, no, I couldn't possibly - You're already doing so much for me, Father. I couldn't ask you to permanently take me in on top of everything else."

"You're not asking; I'm offering, and I'm not taking 'no' for an answer." He handed her a cloak after letting out another sneeze. "Here, put this on. I know the cold doesn't bother you, but you should at least put up the pretense of being human in case we meet anybody along the way."

Having little choice, Serenity did as she was told and followed Helios out to the stables. Pegasus was still alive, but he seemed weak, his legs shivering from the cold. "You poor thing," she said, patting the horse's nose. She glanced over at Helios. "Do you think he'll be able to make the journey back? He looks near-death already."

Helios sighed. "I don't know, Miss Serena. I would rather not push him in this condition, but I'm running low on food for both me and him. I never expected to be gone this long, and if we don't leave now, there's a possibility we'll be trapped for several more days."

"Then let me go find help."

"No, it's best that others don't see you. Most of the people who live in this area are members of my parish. There will be questions if they find us traveling together, and I would rather avoid them if we can."

Serenity reluctantly agreed, but for other reasons. If they ran into somebody who recognized her as the princess - such as Dr. Waters, who lived in the area - it would cause all sorts of problems that they didn't need.

The two of them set out a few minutes later, Helios riding on Pegasus' back while Serenity slogged through the slushy snow on foot so not to put any unnecessary strain on the already-weak horse. "Are you certain you don't mind traveling on foot?" Helios asked. "I must admit I feel rather awkward allowing a woman to do the walking while I ride on the horse."

"The snow doesn't bother me," Serenity said. "Besides, you need to keep as dry as possible, Father. I think you're developing a bit of a cold."

"I'm fi-" He sneezed yet again, followed by a short coughing fit. "Well, perhaps you're right, but I'll be all right."

Serenity frowned, wishing they could had stayed at the farmhouse a little while longer. Helios wasn't fit to be traveling in this sort of weather. At least it wasn't snowing at the moment, which was a small consolation, but she would feel better once they returned to the rectory. She picked up the pace, tugging on Pegasus' reins in an effort to get the horse to walk a little faster.

It still took roughly two hours before the abbey came in sight. In that time, Helios's cough had gotten worse, and he sounded congested. He kept insisting he was fine, but Serenity knew better.

When they finally reached the church, Serenity helped the priest dismount the horse. Helios nearly collapsed in her arms. "Father!" she cried, placing a hand on his forehead. He was burning up. "Hold on." She threw his arm over her shoulder and turned in the direction of the rectory. "I'll get you inside."

Helios, however, shook his head. "I need to let the Sisters know I'm back," he said, struggling to stand on his own. He reached into one of his pockets and pressed something into the palm of her hand. "This is the key to the rectory. Go inside and hide in my study. It's the room next to my bedroom. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"But -"

"Miss Serena, trust me. Now go before somebody sees you."

Serenity hesitated, but did as she was told.

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Helios waited until he was certain Serena was safely hidden inside the house before stumbling to the front doors of the abbey. Another coughing fit came over him as he struggled to knock on the door in his weakened state.

His knocks weren't very loud, but like an answered prayer, the doors swung opened. Helios immediately collapsed into Sister Aurora's arms.

"Father Helios!" she exclaimed. "Sister Eos, close that door and help me get him to a bed. Quickly!"

"Wait, take me to the rectory," he said, managing to hold up a hand when Eos came over to assist. "I only came to inform you I'm home."

"Nonsense. You'll spend the night here. You're sick, and you need somebody to look after you."

"It's only a minor cold. Please, let me sleep in my own bed. I'll be fine after some rest."

The two nuns exchanged a look between them, then each took him by the arm to support him as they made their way to the rectory. Serena had left the door unlocked for him, but fortunately Aurora and Eos were too concerned about him to think anything of it. They took him to his room and helped him change into a nightshirt before putting him to bed.

"You gave us quite a scare, Father," Aurora said as she tucked him in. Eos had gone to prepare him a light dinner. "We thought you -" She shook her head, unable to finish the thought, and wiped away a tear. "If you weren't back by tomorrow morning, we intended to form a search party. I can't believe how foolish you were, going out in such a storm!"

"I had to," Helios said, coughing.

"Where is the girl? Did you find her?"

Helios, unable to look Aurora in the eye, turned over on his side and pulled the blanket closer around his body. "I took her home," he lied. "That's why it took me so long to return."

"Well, I'm glad you found her. A young woman like her shouldn't have been wondering out alone." Aurora got up and placed another blanket over him. "She was a rather unusual girl, though, wasn't she? You don't see many people with pink hair and red eyes. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was vampire."

Helios froze. "A v-vampire?"

"Of course, the existence of vampires is just a silly myth." Aurora chuckled. "Forgive me for saying such a ridiculous thing."

If only she knew how close to the truth she was… Helios rolled back over, hearing Eos come in with his dinner. He didn't have much of an appetite, truth be told, but he hadn't eaten since the meager breakfast he managed to put together with his emergency rations. He sat up and let the nun set the tray down over his legs.

"I'm sorry it isn't much," Eos said of the bowl of broth and two slices of bread she had brought for him.

"No, it's fine. Thank you, Sister Eos."

"Is there anything else you need? Maybe we should call for a doctor…"

Helios shook his head. "That's not necessary. I'll be all right after I get some rest. Please, don't feel like you need to stay. I'm going right to bed after I finish eating this, so go back to the church. I don't want to pass my cold onto you two."

"Are you certain you don't want one of us to stay with you?" Aurora asked with a frown. "I don't like the idea of you staying here by yourself in this condition, Father."

"I beg you, please go. I'll be fine."

Neither of the nuns seemed happy about the arrangement, but they did as they were told and left. Once he heard the front door close behind them, Helios set his dinner aside, pulled on a robe, and lit a candle. He then headed to the study, hand pressed up against the wall to keep himself steady as he was feeling rather woozy and light-headed. He knocked on the door.

"Miss Serena, you can come out now. They're gone."

Serena opened the door and walked out. "Father, you shouldn't be up," she lectured upon seeing him. "You need your rest."

"This won't take long." He led her to a rug in the parlor, which he asked her to move aside, revealing a trapdoor in the floor. "This leads to the cellar," he informed her as she lifted up the door. "Come with me."

Since he was holding the candle, he went first down the narrow stairway leading to the dark cellar. Helios seldom went down there, and it showed. The dust triggered another coughing fit, startling Serena.

"Father!"

"I'm okay, I'm okay," he said, holding up a hand when she moved to come down after him. "Watch your step. These stairs are old."

When they reached the bottom, Helios held up his candle, illuminating the largely empty underground room. "It's not much," he apologized as Serena looked around, "but you'll be safe down here during daylight hours. I'll let you out at night when the coast is clear so that you can do your…hunting." Serena had mentioned earlier that she could survive on a diet of animal blood, which had come as a relief, but the word still reminded him of the fact that she was a predator that could turn on him at any moment. "You'll also be free to spend time in the rest of the house if you'd like."

"Thank you," she said quietly, still taking it all in. Helios imagined living in a dusty cellar was a far cry from the luxury of her former home.

"You can decorate if you want, make it your own," he added. "Of course, I don't have much…" He frowned, realizing something he had forgotten. "I don't even have a bed for you."

"That's okay. I can… I can sleep on the floor."

Helios turned around. The cellar was mostly used as a storage room, and they usually had at least one or two… "There." He pulled a sheet off of a large object, revealing the wooden coffin underneath.

For the first time since they had met, Serena let out a peal of musical laughter that Helios found quite lovely. "Are you suggesting that I sleep inside a coffin?"

He grimaced. "You're right. That was insensitive of me to suggest."

"No, I don't mind," she said in a softer voice, running her hand over the lid. "I'm a vampire, and vampires are supposed to sleep in coffins, right? Besides, I suppose it is a better alternative to sleeping on the floor."

"I'm sorry I don't have anything better to offer you. There are extra beds in the cells where the nuns sleep, but they would notice if one went missing."

"You've already done more than enough for me, Father. I'm forever in your debt."

"I'm doing this because I want to, Miss Serena, not because I expect anything in return."

"I know, but…"

"You saved my life last night. I believe that makes us even," he said, gently smiling. "Now, I'll go get you a pillow and some -" He started coughing worse than ever.

"Father, you're going back to bed," Serena said in no uncertain terms, leading him back toward the stairs.

He was in no shape to refuse her assistance. Leaning against her for support, Helios allowed Serena to take him back to his bedroom and help him into bed. Though he still wasn't hungry, she insisted that he eat some of the dinner Eos had brought him.

"I feel just terrible," Serena said, watching him eat from her spot on the edge of the mattress. "It's because of me you went out into the storm and caught ill."

"It's not your fault," Helios said.

She glanced away. "I wish you wouldn't say that. It just makes me feel even more guilty."

"Miss Serena…" He reached over and placed his hand over hers. "I'm going to be fine. It's just a minor cold. I'll be healthy again in no time," - Helios paused to let out a small yawn - "so don't worry about me."

Serena stood back up and picked up his tray. He had only finished off about a third of the bowl and half of a bread slice, but that seemed enough to satisfy her. "You get some sleep," she said. "I'll take this back to the kitchen. Goodnight, Father."

"Goodnight, Miss Serena."

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Despite his claim to the contrary, Father Helios did not get better. In fact, with every passing night he seemed to grow weaker and weaker. The nuns cared for him during the day, while Serenity secretly kept vigil at his bedside during the nighttime hours after doing her hunting. No matter what the risks were to her, she planned to get help from Eos and Aurora the second she felt it was necessary.

On the seventh night, while she was replacing the cool washcloth on his forehead, the priest moaned and slowly opened his eyes. "Miss… Serena…" he croaked, having mostly lost his voice.

Serenity shushed him. "Go back to sleep, Father. I'm sorry I woke you."

He shook his head. "It's nighttime? How many days have I been in bed?"

"It's been about a week," she replied with a frown. "You aren't getting any better. I think it's time you let one of the sisters send for a doctor."

"No… No, we don't have the money. It's just a cold…"

"It's not just a cold anymore!" she exclaimed. "I'm not a doctor, but even I can see that. You need medical attention, the sooner, the better."

"Just a couple more days… I'll get bet…"

Helios' voice trailed off as his eyelids slid close. Soon he was sleeping again, his breathing raspy and labored.

Serenity, after placing another blanket over him, headed down to her new room in the cellar. Dawn was still about four hours away. If she hurried, she could probably make it to the town and back before the sun began to rise. Serenity put on the cloak Helios had loaned her and grabbed the ruby and diamond necklace she had been wearing the night Helios had found her. She then left Helios a note at his bedside promising she would be back soon - she didn't want him to come after her again if he awoke and found her missing - and went to the stables to saddle up Pegasus. Even with her vampire-enhanced speed, a horse was still faster.

Fortunately, the white horse had mostly recovered from the events of a week ago and was up for the trip. Though it had been some time since she last rode a horse on her own - after a bad fall when she was thirteen, she had given up her equestrian lessons - Serenity managed to push past her fear to mount him.

It was still cold out, but nowhere near as freezing as it was a few days ago. The snow had mostly melted, although some white patches could still be seen on the ground every once in a while. Serenity couldn't push Pegasus as fast as she would have liked because of the ice on the road, but they still reached the town of Elysion in good time.

As to be expected in the middle of the night, the lights in the majority of the shops along the main street in town were off. The only signs of activity seemed to come from a seedy-looking tavern. Serenity dismounted Pegasus and tied him to a nearby post, averting her eyes from a flyer asking for any information about the princess's disappearance. She then pulled the hood of the cloak over her head and scurried to the closed pawn shop across the street from the tavern, hoping against hope that the owner might still be up.

She pounded on the door as loud as she could. "Please, if anybody is there, open up," she shouted. "It's an emergency. Please!"

Just when Serenity was about to give up and try her luck at the tavern, the door finally cracked open, revealing half the face of a middle-aged man in glasses. "Who are you?" he asked, yawning. "Do you realize what time it is, young lady? I was trying to sleep."

"I'm so sorry for disturbing you, sir, but I really need to talk to you. There's something I would like to pawn."

"Then come back in the morning. The shop opens at eight o'clock sharp. Now, if you will excuse me…"

The man started to close the door, but Serenity pushed her hand against it, preventing him from doing so. "Please, it's an emergency. It can't wait until morning. A friend of mine is sick, and he desperately needs a doctor."

His face softened a little. "Your lover?"

Serenity felt her face grow hot. "Oh, no, it's -"

"You aren't one of those girls from the tavern, are you?" He frowned, his eyes glancing over her shoulder at the building across the street. "The men who frequent that place are all creeps and lowlifes, the scum of society. If one of them dies, no one would care - present company excluded, of course," he said, realizing what he was saying. "Look, you seem like a nice enough girl. Why don't you come back in the morning, get your money, and use it to start a better life for yourself instead of wasting it to save the life of some customer of yours?"

"You think I'm a…prostitute?" Serenity asked, never so insulted in her entire life. "Does this look like something a common whore would own?" She held up her necklace, the jewels shimmering in the faint light of the candle the pawnshop owner was holding.

His eyes widened behind the thick lenses of his glasses. "Oh, my…" The man swung open the door. "Do forgive me, miss. Please, come in and I'll see what I can do for you."

After what he had said to her, Serenity was tempted to leave and take her chances of finding someone to buy the necklace at the tavern, but she couldn't afford to be picky about who she did business with when Father Helios needed help. She followed the man inside the shop and took a seat at the counter.

The man turned on a lamp and examined the necklace with a jeweler's glass. "This is an exquisite piece," the owner, who had introduced himself as Mr. Melvin, said. "Platinum setting, rubies and diamonds of the finest cut and quality, beautiful design… Are you quite certain you want to pawn it?"

Serenity nodded. The necklace had been a gift from Lord Hawkeye. It held no sentimental value to her now, and she would be glad to be rid of it. "What can you give me for it?"

He considered her question for a moment before replying, "One thousand gold coins."

"Only one thousand?" Serenity knew the necklace had to be worth at least five times more than that. Lord Hawkeye told her that it had once belonged the late infamous Duchess of Dead Moon, Nehelenia.

"This is a pawn shop, not a jeweler's. I'm being quite generous as it is. If you want top dollar, you'll have to see Molly - I mean, Miss Baker - down the street." Mr. Melvin's cheeks went flush. "Unfortunately, she is currently out of town for a family wedding. She isn't due back until sometime next week."

She couldn't wait that long, and a thousand cold coins was more than enough to cover the cost of the doctor and medicine. "Fine, I'll take the thousand," Serenity said.

Mr. Melvin placed the necklace on a stand and began filling a pouch with the money. "You know, I don't think I've seen you around here before," he commented, attempting to get a better look at her face underneath the shadow of her hood. "I pride myself on knowing almost everybody who lives around here, but you appear to be a stranger. What did you say your name was again?"

"I didn't."

"A runaway, huh?" He tied the pouch and placed it on the counter in front of her. "You ought to go back home to your parents, young lady. I'm sure you and your fellow think it's incredibly romantic to run off and elope, but they are bound to be worried."

"I'm sure they are," Serenity murmured to herself, grabbing the bag and standing back up. "Do you happen to know where Dr. Amy Waters lives?" she asked Mr. Melvin, not bothering to correct his assumption.

"I know everything about this town," he boasted, sliding his glasses back up his nose. "Just continue down this road until you reach the first intersection. Take a left at the Crown Soda Shoppe, and Dr. Waters's house will be the third townhouse on the right. You can't miss it."

"Thank you, and I apologize again for barging in like this."

Serenity left the pawn shop and followed Mr. Melvin's directions to Dr. Waters' house on foot. As he promised, the house wasn't hard to find, but she hesitated upon reaching the doorstep, wondering if she should try to find a different doctor. Coming here was a huge risk, but Dr. Waters was known as one of the most brilliant physicians in the country. Surely Father Helios' welfare was worth the chance of discovery by one of her parents' friends.

Decided, Serenity rapped on the door. If she still had the ability, she would have held her breath as she silently hoped that somebody other than the doctor would answer.

Her wish came true when a meek-looking woman, probably just a few years older than herself, came to the door. Her alabaster skin was almost as pale of Serenity's, yet with her shoulder-length raven hair and dark purple eyes, the woman was obviously human. She was dressed in a maid's uniform, consisting of a modest black dress and white apron.

"Yes, may I help you?"

"I'm sorry for disturbing you at this hour," Serenity apologized. "I hope I didn't wake you."

"Oh, no, I was already awake. I like to get an early start on my chores."

"Is Dr. Waters up as well?"

"No, she usually sleeps in until around six, but if it is a medical emergency, I can go fetch her for you."

"No, please don't, not right now," Serenity said, digging some coins out of the pouch. She wasn't certain how much Dr. Waters charged for house calls, so she gave an entire handful to the surprised maid. "Will you give this money to Dr. Waters and ask her to come to the rectory at Elysion Abbey as soon as possible? Father Helios has fallen very ill."

"Y-Yes, of course, but won't you come in? I'll wake the doc-"

She shook her head. "She mustn't know I was here." Serenity again reached into the pouch and pulled out a few more gold coins, which she placed inside one of the maid's apron pockets. "That's for you. If Dr. Waters asks who requested her services, tell her it was an anonymous donor."

"I can't accept your money, miss. If you wish to remain anonymous, I don't mind keeping your secret."

"Keep it anyway," she said when the maid attempted to return the gold coins. "Just give me a thirty minute lead. After that, you can wake Dr. Waters and tell her about Father Helios. Thank you so much."

With that, Serenity pivoted around and began running back to where she had left Pegasus. While she was talking to the maid, she had caught a look at the hall clock over her shoulder and saw that it was getting close to sunrise. She still had enough time to make it back to the rectory if she hurried, but it would be a close call.

"Pegasus, back home as fast as you can," she told the horse.

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Helios awoke shortly after dawn, still feeling miserable. His entire body felt like it was made of lead, and it was a struggle even to breathe. He normally began the day by reciting a prayer of gratitude to God, but he had very little to be grateful about at the moment - a thought he immediately felt guilty for having. After all, he was still alive, at least, although a part of him thought he would welcome death with open arms if it meant an end to his suffering.

He wasn't getting any better. He kept insisting to Serena and the nuns that he was only suffering from a nasty cold, not wanting them to worry, but as the days passed by without any improvement in his condition, it was becoming obvious that his illness was something worse. Perhaps it was time to send for a doctor as Serena had suggested.

As Helios struggled to sit up, a violent coughing fit came over him, far worse than ever before. He covered his mouth with his hand, gagging and choking back on what he assumed to be bile. However, when he had recovered and looked down at his fingers, he was horrified to see them covered in what appeared to be black blood.

"No… No, not that… Anything but that…"

Helios reached for a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his fingers and mouth, his entire body shaking as he realized what it meant. He didn't have a cold, or even influenza. Coughing up black blood meant one thing - sanguis mortis, otherwise known as the Black Death.

An incurable disease, the Black Death had claimed the lives of over one million people around the country since the first case was reported around five years ago. As parish priest of one of the hardest hit areas, Helios himself had watched over a quarter of his parishioners waste away from the disease, most recently Beryl McQueen, who he had visited the night he found Serena in order to administer her Last Rites. Her family had warned him that Mrs. McQueen was possibly contagious, but Helios had decided to see to her anyway, wanting to provide her what little comfort he could in her final hours. Though he had taken the recommended precautions against infection, it seemed he had caught the disease anyway.

A knock on the door startled him from his thoughts. "Father Helios, are you up? May we come in?" Sister Aurora asked from outside the room. "There's someone here to see you."

"No!" he croaked out in as loud a voice as he could, horrified as the realization hit him.

Aurora, Eos, Serena… He had unknowingly put them all in danger. Well, perhaps not Serena. As a vampire - one of the living undead - she was most likely immune to the Black Death, but the nuns were still highly susceptible. If by the grace of God they were not already infected, he could not risk passing the disease onto them.

Using all his strength, he shakily rose to his feet and stumbled toward the door to lock it. "Go away, Sister," he begged, leaning against the wall. "You mustn't come near me. It's the Bla-" He began coughing up blood again and slid down to the floor, pressing his hand against his mouth.

"Father? Father Helios?" Aurora called out franticly, pounding against the door. He heard the knob rattle as somebody tried to open the door. "Let us in!"

Even if he wanted to, he was too weak to stand back up. Outside the door, he heard a low conversation between Aurora and some voice he could not immediately place, although he knew he had heard it before. Then there was a jangle of keys as Aurora unlocked the door and opened it.

She gasped upon seeing him leaning against the wall, covered in black blood. "Father!"

Aurora started to tend to him, but her guest pulled her back by the arm. "Sister Aurora, out, now!" the woman ordered, pushing the nun out of the room and relocking the door behind her. Helios could hear Aurora pounding on the door, demanding to know what was happening, but the woman ignored her, pulling out a surgeon's mask and a pair of gloves from her doctor's bag before handing him a bucket to collect the blood.

"Dr. Waters…" he murmured once the episode was over and he could speak again. "What are you doing here?"

"Never mind that right now," she said, kneeling down beside him and taking the bucket away from him. She frowned as she looked inside. "How long has this been happening?"

"It just started this morning. It's the Black Death, isn't it?"

The doctor sighed. "It appears it is, Father. Here." She threw his arm around her neck and helped him stand back up. Despite her slender build, she was stronger than she appeared. "Can you walk?"

He nodded, leaning against Dr. Waters as she led him back to the bed. There, she stripped him out of his blood-soaked nightshirt and helped him change into a clean one.

"Why are you here, Doctor?" he asked again, laying down on the bed and allowing Dr. Waters to pull the blankets back over him. "Did one of the nuns send for you?"

"I thought so at first, but neither will claim credit."

"I don't understand."

"Somebody came by my house this morning, giving an extremely generous anonymous donation in order to provide for your medical care," she said. "Honestly, I wish I knew who it was, so I could give them back their money. If I had known you were ill, Father, I would have come here free of charge. You know I am not one to let money issues prevent me from treating the sick."

"You don't know who left you the money?" he asked, still struggling to understand how the doctor found out about his illness if Eos and Aurora weren't the ones who had sent for her.

"It was left in the care of my maid early this morning while I was still sleeping. All I know is that the request came from a young lady wearing a cloak. Hotaru says the woman refused to leave a name and it was too dark to get a decent look at her face."

Serena, Helios thought, though he didn't voice his suspicion aloud. Serena was the only other person who knew he was sick; it had to be her. She must have snuck out of the house while he was sleeping, but how did she manage to get the money? When he found her, she hadn't been carrying a purse. He doubted she had any money with her.

"In any case," the doctor continued, "you should be grateful to whoever it was, though I wish I had been contacted sooner. From what Sister Aurora has told me, I understand you've been ill for about a week. Why didn't you send for me?"

"I thought it was only a bad cold. I didn't think it was anything to be concerned over."

"The cold was likely exacerbated by the disease, which greatly weakens the immune system." She pulled out a journal and a pencil and took a seat on the edge of the mattress. "Tell me, Father, who was the last known infected person you came in contact with?"

"Beryl McQueen. I was present when she died of the disease, the night of Lost Souls'." He suppressed a shudder as he recalled the time he spent at the poor woman's deathbed. At the end, she was all skin and bones, a shadow of her once vibrant beauty, and she had coughed up blood near constantly. It had been a miserable way to die. "I did everything I was supposed to do, though. I wore the mask and gloves -"

"Even with all the proper precautions in place, there's no guarantee a person won't be infected, I'm afraid."

"Yet you put yourself at risk every time you tend to the sick."

Dr. Waters gave a small smile. "I'm a doctor; it's my duty to heal, no matter the risk to myself," she said. "As a priest, I'm certain you feel the same. Even if you had known beforehand that you would be infected with the Black Death, you would have still seen to Mrs. McQueen in her final hours, wouldn't you?"

"Yes," Helios admitted. "Her own family was too frightened to even be in the same room as her. I couldn't let her die alone." He closed his eyes, mentally preparing himself before asking his next question. "How much longer do I have, Doctor?"

She let out a sigh. "Father, I don't like to give my patients deadlines on their life. Death is unpredictable. You could die tomorrow, or you could hold on for weeks, maybe even months. Nobody knows for certain."

"I know that probably better than most, but I would still like your professional estimation. Please."

Dr. Waters frowned but acquiesced to his request. "You're still in the early stages of the disease. Assuming you caught it from Mrs. McQueen, you've only been infected for a week, although that cold of yours certainly didn't help matters. Most people don't begin coughing up blood until around two weeks after infection," she explained. "I've been working on developing a new treatment that has proven effective in slowing down the progression of the disease in some patients, although it's far from a cure. I'd like to start you on the medication right away, with your permission. If it works, you may survive the winter."

"And if it doesn't?"

"Then three or four weeks, at best, I'd say."

"But the cos-"

The doctor shook her head. "Don't worry about the money. Like I said before, your anonymous benefactor was very generous. Besides, every piece of data I can acquire is priceless in regards to my research."

"So I'll be your guinea pig."

"Essentially, yes. Does that bother you?"

"No, not at all," he said. "If I can help you in anyway to finding an eventual cure, I'll feel my death wasn't in vain."

"Good." She stood back up and walked over to her doctor's bag, where she pulled out a pill bottle. She shook out two of the small blue pills and handed them to Helios. She then poured him a glass of water from the pitcher on the nightstand beside his bed. "You'll need to take two of those, every six hours," she told him as he swallowed down the pills.

"Thank you, Doctor."

"I only wish I could do more for you."

"What about the nuns?" he asked as Dr. Waters began packing up her things in preparation to leave. "They've been taking care of me ever since I fell ill. They could be infected, too."

"I'll examine them before I leave, but the chance of infection is low. The disease is most infectious when it becomes active - when the patient begins coughing up blood. In its dormant state, it's relatively harmless to other people. Most likely, neither of them has the disease, although I do recommend that you quarantine yourself from them to prevent the possibility of future infections."

"Thank goodness." He sighed in relief and mentally recited a prayer of gratitude. "If I had unknowingly passed this onto them…"

"Try to get some rest, Father," she said. "I'll be back in a few days to check on your progress."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Serenity paced back and forth across the dusty floor of the cellar, fighting every urge to climb up the trapdoor and check on Father Helios' condition, exposure be damned. Though she normally spent the daylight hours asleep, it was impossible for her to get any rest until she knew he was going to make it. She had kept her ears on high alert ever since the doctor arrived, hoping to hear any snippets of conversation that might provide any information about the priest's illness.

"Please let him be okay," she whispered, her hands folded together in front of her chest. Serenity doubted God listened to the prayers of vampires, but it couldn't hurt to try. "He _has_ to be okay. Someone like Father Helios… He deserves to live. Please, make him well again. Please."

She stopped her pacing and sat down on the steps, face buried in her hands. Above ground, she heard Sister Eos and Sister Aurora chanting a prayer for the infirmed. Serenity's mouth moved along with the familiar words of their own volition.

A few moments after they said, "Amen," another voice joined them, apologizing for the interruption. Serenity recognized it as belonging to Dr. Waters. As quietly as she could, she climbed up a few more steps so she could better hear what they were saying.

"-is he, Doctor?"

"I'm sorry, Sister," Dr. Waters said after a short pause. "It's the Black Death."

"No," one of the nuns moaned. Serenity thought it was Sister Aurora.

"Are you certain?" the other asked. "Sister Aurora told me he was coughing up black blood, but…"

"There's no mistaking the symptoms. I've started him on an experimental treatment protocol that may slow down the progression of the disease, but as I am certain you are both aware, there is no current cure for the Black Death."

Serenity brought her hand to her mouth. It was worse than she had feared.

"I would like to test you both for the infection as well, although the chance that either of you is a carrier is low," the doctor continued over the sounds of Aurora's soft sobs. "Come, let us return to the church. I'll examine you there."

"Wait, may we see him first?" Eos asked.

"I'm afraid that wouldn't be wise. Now that the disease has become active, he's quite contagious. It's best that you limit your time with him."

"Then we cannot visit him?"

"If you take the proper precautions, short visits might be possible, but I'm recommending that he be put under quarantine. Even though Father Helios took those proper precautions, he still caught the infection from one of your parishioners. There is no way to be certain you won't be infected unless you stay away from him as much as possible."

"But -"

"We understand, Doctor," Aurora said, sniffling. "Come, Sister Eos. Let's do as she asks and let her examine us."

Serenity listened to the sound of their retreating footsteps, not moving until she heard the door close behind them. She then hurried back down the stairs and grabbed her cloak, pulling it over her so that only part of her that was exposed was her face. It was risky to chance visiting Helios when the sun was still up, but she couldn't wait until nightfall to see him. She then went back up the stairs and pushed open the trapdoor, taking a peek first to make certain Dr. Waters and the nuns had all left before climbing out.

Serenity took care to stay away from the windows, keeping her front turned away from them as she made her way to Helios' bedroom. Without knocking, she turned the doorknob and pushed the door open. As it was an interior room, there were no windows to worry about. She quickly stepped inside and closed the door behind her.

"Who's there?" Helios asked in a weak voice.

Serenity came closer to the bed and lifted the hood of her cloak off of her hair. "It's me, Father."

"Miss Serena? What are -" He sat up and was immediately overcome by a hacking cough.

"Father!"

He held up a hand, motioning her to stay back. The black-tinted blood that was the trademark of the Black Death began spewing from his mouth, oozing between the fingers of the hand he used to cover it.

Serenity dug a handkerchief out of the pocket of her dress and used it to cover her nose. Though as a vampire, she should have been drawn to the sight of his blood, the strange black substance emitted a foul odor not unlike the smell of rotten eggs, repulsing her instead.

After a few moments, the coughing subsided. Helios withdrew his hand away from his mouth, staring down at his blood-soaked hand. Serenity stepped forward, forcing herself to ignore the pungent smell, and dipped her handkerchief into the pitcher of water on the bedside table. She then took a seat on the priest's bed and began wiping the blood off his hand and face.

"Miss Serena, is -"

"I'm fine," she said, answering before he could finish his question. "I have no thirst for diseased blood."

"You shouldn't be here," he said. "Even if you can handle the blood, it's still daylight, and the nuns -"

"- have returned to the church with Dr. Waters to be examined. They probably won't be back for a while, either, because the doctor said she wanted you under quarantine."

"So you know?"

"I eavesdropped on their conversation."

"I see." Helios sighed and pulled his hand away from hers. "Oh, Miss Serena, I'm so sorry."

"Why are you apologizing, Father?" she asked, confused.

"I said I would help you find a way to become human again, but I fear I won't be able to keep that promise."

"I don't care about that!" Serenity exclaimed. "Not anymore. I just wish -" She shook her head. For once, she was glad to be a vampire, for she certainly would have burst into tears if she still possessed the ability. "It isn't fair," she whispered. "Why you?"

"It is God's will. It's all part of His plan."

"Oh, I don't care about God's plan!" She stood back up, angrily throwing her arms in the air. "Was it His will that I be turned into a vampire, as well?"

"I don't know," he admitted in a soft voice, sounding almost on the verge of tears. "I just don't know anymore…"

"Father Helios…" She sat down and pulled him close as a sob ripped through his body.

"I don't want to die," he confessed, his face buried in her shoulder. "Not like this. I'm scared. I've watched so many others succumb to the Black Death… It's the most awful way to die."

Serenity wished she could offer some words of encouragement or comfort, but none came to her. Anything she might have said would have just been a lie anyway. Even those in the palace knew the horrors of the Black Death. Luna, her handmaiden's mother, had died of the disease the year before, along with several other servants. They had all been put under strict quarantine, but Serenity had helped Diana sneak in for a final visit when her mother was laying on her deathbed. There were no words to describe the horrors of what she witnessed that day. She had experienced nightmares for a week afterward, unable to forget the pale, pained faces of the victims who she had no power to save.

"I-I'm sorry," Helios said after a few minutes, pulling away and wiping his wet face with the sleeve of his nightshirt. "I didn't mean to -"

She shook her head. "I don't mind. Cry to me all you want. I won't think less of you."

Bringing her hand to his cheek, she brushed away a final tear with her thumb, envying him the ability to do so easily what she could not.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dr. Waters' experimental treatment was successful in slowing down the progress of disease, at least for a little while. Some days were better than others, but eventually the bad days began outnumbering the good. Even Sister Eos and Sister Aurora, who had tried to visit with him at least once a day in the early days of his diagnosis, had begun to keep their distance, only coming by for a few minutes at a time to bring him food and other necessities.

Helios didn't blame them.

Serena thus became his sole source of companionship. They never talked about much, but he came to appreciate her presence more and more each day. It was a comfort to have her by his side; it was as if a beautiful angel was watching over him, consoling him through his darkest hours. The fact that she was actually a vampire - a cursed being - rarely crossed his mind.

On one of his increasingly sporadic good days, Helios was sitting up in bed, reading one of his favorite passages in the Bible. As had become the routine after she returned from her daily "hunt", Serena sat in a chair beside the bed, drawing in an unused sketchbook she had found long forgotten in the cellar. She was quite the artist as it turned out, although she only showed him the pieces she considered her best work. The rest she called "absolute rubbish" and tore out of the book.

After he finished reaching the passage, Helios closed the book and turned his attention toward his silent companion. She was engrossed in her work, her brow furrowed in deep concentration as her pencil scratched across the page. Helios wanted to ask what she was drawing, but he knew from previous experience that she wouldn't tell him until the sketch was completed.

So, instead, he asked a different question: "Why do you stay?"

The pencil in Serena's hand paused in mid-stroke, and she glanced up at him with her striking red eyes. "Do you dislike my presence?"

"No, not at all," he was quick to say, not wanting her to get the wrong idea. "If you weren't here, I don't -" Overcome with a sudden coughing fit, Helios pressed his handkerchief to his mouth, staining it with yet more diseased blood. Serena, despite being a vampire, didn't react to it at all. "It must be so difficult for you," he continued once the fit subsided, "to be around all this blood.

"I've told you many times, Father, it doesn't bother me," she said, covering her nose and mouth with her hand. "Are you afraid I'm going to lose control of myself and bite you?"

Helios looked down at the Bible resting in his lap, unable to deny it. A part of him did fear that she might one day attack him, although he hated himself for thinking that way. He knew she would never do so intentionally, but base instincts were difficult to fight even with the most honorable intentions.

"Maybe I should leave after all…"

Serena started to stand from her chair, but Helios reached for her wrist, stopping her. "No, don't." Even if a small part of him was terrified of what she capable of doing, a larger part couldn't bear the thought of her leaving, abandoning him to die alone. "Please, stay. Forgive me, I didn't mean -"

A sad smile crossed Serena's lips as she sat back down. "It's quite alright. I am a vampire; it's only natural for you to be frightened of me."

"H-How did it happen?" he asked after a long pause. He had been curious for a long time, but he had always been hesitant to approach the subject with her, not knowing how she would react. "How did you become a vampire?"

"I'd rather not talk about it, if you don't mind," she said, resuming her drawing.

"Oh, right, of course. I understand. I'm sorry."

But Helios wished he knew more about her. She had been staying with him for over two months, but he didn't even know her last name or where she came from, though he thought her accent might have come from the capital city, Lunaria. Did she have any family? Friends? Were they worried about her, or were they the ones who had abandoned her on the side of the road on that fateful snowy night, leaving her to die at the daybreak?

A short time later, Serena set aside her sketchbook and stood back up. "Are you hungry, Father?" she asked.

"Not especially," he replied. He rarely had much of an appetite anymore.

She frowned. "You need to keep up your strength. It's almost time for you to take your medicine. I'll fix you a snack."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the kitchen, Serenity began preparing Helios a sandwich. It was one of the few things she knew how to make, since princesses were not expected to know how to cook. Servants had taken care of her every wish and need.

Thinking of her old life in the palace, Serenity let out a sigh. It was still hard to believe that she would never again see her grandmother or parents, nor any of her friends. Were they still attempting to find her, or had they finally given her up for dead? Sometimes she thought of sending the palace a letter to let them know that she was okay, but that would only give her family false hope that she would one day return. As cruel as it seemed, it would be better if they thought she had died - and, in a way, she supposed she had.

But what would happen to her after Father Helios finally succumbed to the Black Death? Once he died, she would no longer be able to stay at the rectory, and as long as she was still a vampire, returning home was not an option. She accepted that Helios wouldn't be able to keep his promise to make her mortal again, but how was she to survive without his kindness and understanding?

Serenity pushed the unpleasant thoughts aside, not wanting to think of life without Father Helios. After grabbing an apple and placing it on a tray with the sandwich and a glass of water, she returned back to the bedroom, where she found him once again reading his Bible. He set the book on the nightstand when he saw her standing at the door.

"Thank you," Helios said as she placed the tray over his lap and handed him his medication.

Serenity snatched the apple and a knife from the tray and sat back down in her chair. As Helios nibbled at his sandwich, she began peeling off the skin for him.

"The forbidden fruit…" she murmured, turning the apple in her hand. It was the apple, wasn't it? Or maybe it was a pomegranate - it had been a long time since she studied the creation story.

"Pardon? Did you say something, Miss Serena?"

Startled, she jumped, unaware she had spoken the thought aloud. "Oh, no, it's nothing," she said. "Sorry, I was just thinking to myself."

The two of them fell once again into silence, Serenity continuing to stare at the half-peeled apple in her hand. Thinking back on it, he had been like a piece of the proverbial forbidden fruit to her, hadn't he?

Lord Hawkeye…

Earlier, Father Helios had asked her to tell him how she became a vampire. She had declined at the time, not wanting to think about that horrible night. She wanted to forget it had ever happened, but even if she lived for over a thousand years, Serenity knew the memory would never leave her.

"Would you be willing to hear my confession, Father?"

Helios seemed taken aback at first, but set aside his half-eaten sandwich to give her his undivided attention. "Yes, of course, Miss Serena," he said. "What is it?"

Serenity shifted uncomfortably in her chair when he called her "Miss Serena". If she was going to confess everything, then it seemed she would have to start by revealing who she really was. "Forgive me, Father, but I'm afraid I've been lying to you from the very start," she said. "My name is not Serena; it is Serenity. I am Princess Lady Serenity, the daughter of Endymion and Serenity, the Prince and Princess of Silver Millennium, and granddaughter of Queen Serenity the IV."

The priest's eyes widened, and he clutched at the fabric of his nightshirt. If possible, learning that she was the princess seemed to take him even more by surprise than the fact that she was a vampire.

"Y-You're the -"

"I'm sorry I've deceived you for so long. I was afraid if you knew who I really was… Well, I just thought it best if you didn't know."

"Your Highness, I -"

She shook her head. "If you intend to apologize for not following the proper royal protocol, I don't want to hear it. That was my old life, which ended the night I became this monster. I am now just plain Serenity, and I will not answer to anything else."

"Yes, Yo- Miss Serenity."

She smiled, relieved to have finally told him the truth. It made it easier to continue with the rest of her story.

"As for the question you asked me earlier, it all began a couple of months ago at a ball held at Crystal Palace. That was when I first became acquainted with _him_ …"

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Princess Lady Serenity discreetly stifled a yawn behind her fan.

Another night, another party. When she was a little girl, Serenity had dreamed of one day becoming an adult, allowed to finally attend all the fashionable balls and events that had been denied to her as a child. She had wanted to wear beautiful dresses and dance the night away with handsome suitors. However, once the novelty had worn off, she had discovered that most parties were quite dull. It seemed like the same people were always in attendance, engaging in the same tired conversations and gossip while pretending they were the most fascinating topics in the world.

"Have you heard the latest? According to Lady Calaveras, a couple of weeks ago, Lady Petz was caught in a rather compromising position with Lord Saphir…"

Yes, yes, Serenity had heard all about all about the scandal concerning Lady Petz and the duke at the last party she had attended. Letting her mind wander, she glanced around the ballroom and wondered if anyone would miss her if she were to excuse herself to bed before the ball officially ended.

It was then that she first noticed _him_.

Serenity wasn't certain if she believed in love at first sight, but she definitely felt _something_ when their eyes met across the room. Somehow, even though they were surrounded by at least fifty guests, it seemed to her as if they were the only two people in the room.

He was by far one of the most attractive men she ever laid eyes on, perhaps even surpassing Serenity's handsome father, who she compared all men against. With his wine-colored eyes and a shock of pink hair, he stood out in the mostly homogenized crowd, appearing like an angel amongst mere mortals.

"Who is he?" Serenity asked Lady Juno, who was standing closest to her. She nodded her head in the man's direction. "I don't believe I've seen him before."

Juno glanced over, frowning. "Him? I believe that is Lord Hawkeye, the Earl of Amazon. I must admit, I'm surprised to see him here."

"Why is that?"

"Lord Hawkeye is known for being a recluse. He's rather infamous for it, in fact. He rarely ever shows his face at court, although when he does, scandal is almost certain to follow."

"Scandal?"

"To be blunt, he's a womanizer. Remember Lady Ceres?"

"Of course," Lady Pallas said, joining their conversation after finishing her story about Lady Petz. "She renounced her title and joined a convent, didn't she?"

Juno smirked. "You don't honestly believe that, do you, Lady Pallas? Surely you are not so naïve."

"Then -"

"Yes, Lord Hawkeye seduced her, leaving her with child. When he refused to marry her, her parents had no choice but to send her away until after the little bastard is born."

"That's idle gossip, Lady Juno, and you know it," Lady Vesta - a relative of Ceres - scolded. "And don't use such crude language; it's hardly becoming of a lady."

Juno shrugged her shoulders. "I'm only relaying what I heard, but I have it on good authority that is what happened."

"And whose authority is that, might I ask?"

"A lady never reveals her sources," Juno said, all but admitting that she had no real proof to back up her claims.

"Pardon me for interrupting, ladies," a man Serenity recognized as Perle, the Marquess of Marzipan, said, coming over to their group, "but might Lady Serenity favor me with a dance?"

To be honest, Serenity was much more interested in hearing about Lord Hawkeye, but she had been told by her parents not to refuse any offers to dance, so she gave the marquess her hand and allowed him to lead her out onto the dance floor for a waltz.

"You dance beautifully, milady."

Distracted by the sight of Lord Hawkeye staring at her from the sidelines, she only half-heard what he said. "Pardon? I'm sorry, my mind must have drifted off for a moment," she said, forcing herself to pay more attention to her dance partner.

"I was complimenting you on your dan-" Lord Perle made a pained face when Serenity accidentally stepped on his foot.

She gasped, pulling away. "Oh, I'm so sorry, my lord! Are you hurt?"

"No, it's nothing," he said, smiling as he pulled her back into dance hold. "Shall we continue?"

Somehow, she managed to get through the rest of the song without any more major mishaps. After it was over, Serenity thanked the marquess for the dance and began to walk back over to her friends, but was accosted by Lord Hawkeye on the way.

"Good evening, Your Highness," he said, bowing.

Though her heart was pounding against her ribcage, Serenity tried not to betray her excitement. "Good evening, Lord Hawkeye."

His unusual blood-red eyes widened slightly, surprised she knew who he was. "I'm honored you know my name."

"Your reputation proceeds you."

"Oh?" He reached for her gloved hand and rather boldly gave it a kiss.

"And is apparently true," she said, not offended at all. In fact, her heart started to race even faster, and she felt her cheeks warm.

"You should not believe all you hear, milady." Lord Hawkeye brought his mouth next to her ear and whispered, "I'm much more dangerous than the rumors imply. These silly gossipmongers don't even know the half of it."

"Dangerous?" Her voice lowered in volume, breathy in tone. "How so?"

He smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

She did want to know - very much so - but, unfortunately, Vesta chose that moment to interrupt them. "There you are, Your Highness!" she said, linking her arm through Serenity's. "We've been looking for you."

"Oh, forgive me for keeping you, Your Highness," he said, bowing his head. "Excuse me, ladies."

As he left to speak with another nearby nobleman, Vesta said, "I wish you would stay away from that man."

"Why?" Serenity asked, still watching him. "He seems rather charming."

"Did you not hear a word Lady Juno said? He's bad news."

"You said yourself it was only a rumor. Besides, it's rude to judge a person solely on gossip."

"It maybe be a rumor, but that doesn't mean there isn't a kernel of truth to it. Lady Ceres is my cousin, and I was the last to see her before she was sent away. She wasn't with child, but she was…different than she was before."

"What do you mean?"

Vesta shook her head. "You wouldn't believe me even if I told you. Sometimes, I doubt it myself, but there's no question that the Earl of Amazon was the one who made her that way. That man - no, that monster is a menace to society!" She turned to face Serenity, grabbing her hands. "Please, you must promise me that you will stay as far away from him as possible. I beg you!"

"Lady Vesta…"

"Please," she repeated. "If you end up like Ceres…"

Serenity took one last look at Lord Hawkeye over Vesta's shoulder, then sighed. She didn't know what or who to believe, but it was clear that something about the earl genuinely frightened her friend. Vesta was not prone to such hysterics.

"Okay, if it is that important to you, I promise I'll keep my distance," she said.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The morning after the ball, Serenity was awakened when her handmaiden Diana entered her chambers and began pulling open the drapes, letting in the sunshine. Her eyes fluttering open, Serenity sat up and stretched her arms high over her head as she let out a yawn.

Diana curtsied. "Good morning, Your Highness."

"Good morning!" She giggled softly to herself, remembering the very…arousing dream she had of Lord Hawkeye.

"Did you have a pleasant dream?"

"Mmm…very pleasant."

The maid smiled and asked, "What would you like to wear today?"

"The blue dress with the lace will do," Serenity decided, getting out of bed.

"Yes, ma'am."

Diana helped her change into a fresh chemise, then began lacing her into her corset. Serenity, who clung to the post of her bed, grunted as the maid pulled on the stays.

"Too tight?"

"No, keep going," Serenity said, even as she mentally cursed the current fashion for impossibly tiny waists.

"Did you enjoy the ball last night?" Diana asked in an attempt to keep Serenity's mind off the tightening.

Thinking once again of Lord Hawkeye and their brief, electrifying moment together, Serenity's lips curved upwards into a private smile. "It was wonderful," she said, forgetting about how dull she found the night before she met the handsome earl.

She was beginning to regret her promise to Vesta that she would stay away from him. So what if Lord Hawkeye had a bit of a bad boy reputation? She lived such a sheltered, protected existence, a little danger might bring some much-needed excitement into her life. Besides, her mother had always taught her it was wrong to judge people without getting to know them first.

After she finished dressing, Serenity went downstairs for breakfast. Her grandmother, the regal Queen Serenity IV, and her father Prince Endymion were already sitting at the elaborately decorated table. Serenity paused to kiss her father affectionately on the cheek before sitting down in the seat across him. "Good morning, Father, Grandmother. Is Mother still sleeping?"

"Yes, last night's festivities tired her out," her father said, although the elder Princess Serenity was customarily late to breakfast anyway. It was rare to see her out of bed before ten. Thanks to the ball, Serenity didn't expect to see her mother until noon at the absolute earliest.

"You seemed to have enjoyed yourself last night as well, Serenity," her grandmother remarked. "I saw you dancing at one point with the Marquess of Marzipan. I've always liked Lord Perle."

"Yes, he is a very sweet man," Serenity agreed.

"Perhaps you might consider him a possible suitor?"

Serenity's father coughed, nearly choking on his eggs. "Suitor? With all due respect, Your Majesty, I believe she is much too long to be courted."

The queen smiled. "Nonsense. She entered her eighteenth year several months ago. When my daughter was her age, why, you two were already married and expecting a child."

"Surely you are mistaken."

"You dare doubt your mother-in-law, Endymion?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

"No, ma'am," he quickly said, knowing better than to pick a fight he was guaranteed to lose.

"I thought not." Turning to Serenity, she returned to her original question. "Well? What do you think of the marquess?"

Serenity remained silent, uncertain how to respond. She liked the marquess well enough, she supposed, but not in a romantic sense. He was merely a friend, nothing more.

"Do you have someone else in mind, my dear?"

She immediately thought of Lord Hawkeye, but she shook her head, remembering her promise to Vesta. "Oh, no, not at all."

A butler by the name of Artemis entered the dining room, sparing Serenity from any more questions about her feelings for Lord Perle. He walked over to the queen and held out a silver tray, on which rested a single envelope and a letter opener. "This just arrived for you, Your Majesty. It's from the Earl of Amazon."

Serenity was unable to stifle a small gasp as her grandmother took the envelope from the tray and slit open the wax seal. "Lord Hawkeye? How unusual," the queen said, pulling out the inserted card and reading it. "He has invited us to a masque at his estate next month, in honor of Lost Souls' Day." She handed the invitation back to Artemis. "Respond back and tell Lord Hawkeye that while we appreciate the invite, we will not be able to attend."

The butler bowed. "Yes, ma'am."

"Wait," Serenity said before he could leave. "Why are you declining the invitation, Grandmother?"

"I already have an engagement for that night. So do your mother and father." She glanced over at Serenity. "Why? Would you like to attend the party?"

Serenity thought fast. If she admitted she wanted to see Lord Hawkeye, she doubted she would be allowed to attend the party. Her grandmother was almost certainly aware of the earl's womanizing reputation and would most likely consider him a poor choice for a possible suitor. "The marquess might be in attendance," she said instead. "If so, it would be a good way for us to get to know each other better. We didn't get the chance to socialize much last night."

"Yes, I suppose so." After a short pause to consider the idea, she said, "Very well. If you would like to go, you may. It is time you made more solo public appearances anyway." The queen turned her attention back to Artemis, who stood waiting for final instructions. "Artemis, you may inform Lord Hawkeye that my granddaughter will be delighted to attend his masque."

"Yes, ma'am."

 _Forgive me, Vesta_ , Serenity thought as the butler once again bowed and left to send the reply, _but I won't be able to keep my promise to you_. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Your Highness, this just arrived for you," her maid announced a week later.

Serenity put aside the book she had been reading and glanced up at Diana. The maid held out a flat velvet box, tied with a red ribbon, and an accompanying envelope.

"Oh?" Taking the packages, Serenity set the box on her lap and tore open the envelope. "Who is it from?" she asked, wondering who would be sending her a gift. It wasn't her birthday.

"I'm not sure, ma'am. It was sent by courier, and the man refused to divulge who hired him."

Serenity pulled out the letter and immediately glanced down toward the bottom of the single sheet of stationary, blushing when she saw Lord Hawkeye's messy signature. Her cheeks burned even hotter upon reading the letter from the start. The earl certainly had a way with words, his writing almost like poetry.

"What does it say?" Diana asked.

Serenity quickly refolded the letter and composed herself as best she could. "Diana, will you prepare some tea? Lady Vesta is due to arrive shortly, and we must receive her with all due hospitality.

The maid curtsied, getting the message. "Yes, ma'am."

After Diana left the room, Serenity untied the ribbon and lifted the top off the box. A gasp escaped her lips when she saw what was inside: a stunning ruby and diamond necklace, set in platinum. There were five rubies in total, each cut in a pear-shape that brought to mind tears of blood, and each ruby was surrounded by a border of diamonds. As a princess, she had seen many beautiful pieces of jewelry in her lifetime, but the necklace rivaled even the crown jewels in beauty.

"Oh, my…" she murmured, lifting the piece out of the box. "How lovely. He has excellent taste."

The necklace went perfectly with the red silk dress she wore, so Serenity took off the pendent she had been wearing and switched it for the new one. She was still admiring her reflection in the mirror when Diana returned a short time later.

"Your Highness, Lady Vesta has arrived. She is waiting for you in the sitting room. Shall I serve the tea?"

"Yes, please," Serenity said, following the maid back out to the attached sitting room.

Vesta rose when Serenity entered the room and curtsied. "Good afternoon, Your Highness."

"Good afternoon, Lady Vesta. I'm so glad you were able to make it today." She greeted her dear friend with a kiss on the cheek, then motioned for her to sit back down on the couch. Serenity took a seat next to her. "Diana will be back shortly with the tea. It's a type I've never tried before, but I've heard it is supposed to be quite delicious."

"I'll be looking forward to it, then. By the way, I must say, that is a beautiful necklace," Vesta said upon noticing the piece around her neck. "I don't remember you ever wearing it before. New?"

Guiltily, Serenity placed a hand over the glittering jewels. "O-Oh, yes, it was a gift."

"From your father?" Vesta smiled. "He certainly loves to spoil you, doesn't he?"

"Actually…a suitor."

Her friend's eyes widened in surprise. "You didn't tell us you were being courted."

Serenity shifted her gaze away from Vesta's, wishing she had let her assume the gift was from her father, after all. If Vesta discovered that the necklace was actually a present from Lord Hawkeye…

"Who is he?" Vesta pressed. "Is it the Marquess of Marzipan? I always thought you two would make a wonderful couple."

Serenity was spared from answering the question right away by the arrival of Diana with the tea. However, the moment the maid left the room, Vesta returned to the subject of her mystery suitor. "So? Is it Lord Perle?"

"No, not him. He's only a friend."

"Then Lord Rubeus, the Viscount of Crimson. Rubies of such rare quality must have come from that region."

She nearly choked on her sandwich. "Oh, heavens, no!" Serenity had met Lord Rubeus a couple of times before and found him a thoroughly unpleasant person. "I can't stand that man."

"Then who is this suitor? Don't keep me in suspense. I promise, I won't breathe a word to anybody else." When Serenity remained silent, realization began to dawn on her. "No, it can't be… Tell me it isn't him."

"I have no clue who you are talking about," Serenity lied after taking a sip of tea.

"You know exactly who I'm talking about!" Vesta leaned closer and lowered her voice. "I told you to keep your distance from Lord Hawkeye."

"I have. I haven't seen him since the last ball." Which was true. A week had passed since the night they first met, but since then, Lord Hawkeye had not made a single appearance at court. The rumors about him being a recluse appeared to be true.

"But you've been in contact?"

"He merely sent me a present. It's not a big deal." She conveniently forgot to mention the invitation to his Lost Souls' Day masquerade.

"But it is. You cannot accept it!"

"I already have."

"Send it back."

"Lady Vesta, you are in no position to be giving me orders," Serenity said coolly.

Vesta bowed her head. "I apologize, Your Highness. I forgot my place," she said, setting her teacup back down on the tray. "However, I still stand by my claim. It is dangerous for you to get involved with the Earl of Amazon."

"Why? What really happened to Lady Ceres?"

"I told you, you wouldn't believe -"

"Let me decide that," Serenity interrupted. "Please, tell me. If you don't, then I see no reason not to strike up an acquaintance with Lord Hawkeye."

There was a long pause before Vesta responded. "She…changed."

"You already told me that. How?"

"Pale skin, pink hair, eyes the color of blood…" She shuddered. "She became a monster, just like him."

"What are you talking about, Lady Vesta?"

"Lord Hawkeye is a vampire, and he turned Ceres into one as well."

"He's a vampire?" Serenity laughed, having never heard anything so ridiculous in her life.

"I said you wouldn't believe me."

"Of course I don't. There are no such things as vampires. It's just a silly superstition."

"You didn't see her," Vesta said, hugging herself as if she felt a chill in the air. "She was like an entirely different person."

"There must be some more reasonable explanation."

"But don't you think it strange how Lord Hawkeye rarely attends court? Even when he does go out in public, it's always at night. I've never seen him in daylight. I've also heard whispers that he has an interest in the occult."

"This is insane…"

"Why would I lie to you? What purpose would it serve?"

"I don't know," Serenity admitted. Vesta wasn't normally the type to fabricate such fanciful stories, but vampires weren't real. It just wasn't possible. "Perhaps you desire Lord Hawkeye for yourself."

"We've been friends since we were children. Do you really think I'm that kind of person?" Vesta asked, gripping the fabric of her skirt. Serenity glanced away, not knowing how to answer. "I see." Vesta stood back up. "Fine, do what you want. I don't care anymore," she said, running out of the room.

"Vesta!"

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I wish I had believed what she told me," Serenity said mournfully. "Lady Vesta wasn't that sort of person at all. She was one of my oldest and dearest friends. Even if she did have feelings for Lord Hawkeye, she wouldn't have stood in our way if it meant my happiness. I just couldn't believe her." She shook her head, correcting herself. "No, I didn't want to believe her.

"Of course you didn't," Helios said, responding for the first time since she began recounting her story. "You had no reason to believe vampires were real. Until I met you, I thought vampires existed only in legends and folktales."

"I still should have trusted her. She knew Lord Hawkeye was dangerous, but I was too infatuated with him to see the truth. How could I have been so blind? So stupid?"

Helios had no answers for her.

"What happened after that?" he asked instead, and she continued on with her tale.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The night of Lost Souls' was bitterly cold. Serenity's breath fogged the windows of the royal family's carriage as she stared out at the dreary scenery, and she shivered from the chill in the air. Diana, who was accompanying her to Lord Hawkeye's masquerade, pulled the blanket laying across Serenity's lap up to her bared shoulders.

"Thank you, Diana," Serenity said, beginning to regret her decision to dress up as the Black Lady of legends. The skimpy costume did not provide much protection from the elements.

Diana, in contrast, wore a modest gray dress. As a maid, she would not be allowed to attend the party proper, but she had gotten into the spirit of Lost Souls' Day by donning a pair of cat ears in her hair. "The weather certainly is appropriate for today," she said, rubbing at her own covered arms. "You almost expect a ghost to jump out at you and shout, 'Boo!'"

Serenity, reminded her last conversation with Lady Vesta about vampires, let out a sigh. Why did people believe such superstitions? "Don't be silly. There are no such things as ghosts."

"Of course, ma'am." Chastised, Diana turned her attention back to the window. "Oh, look, Your Highness, it's snowing!"

Indeed, tiny white flakes had begun floating down from the sky, just barely visible in the twilight. "It's a bit early this year, isn't it?" Serenity commented, surprised by the sight for the winter solstice was still several weeks away.

Diana nodded. "Some of the other servants were predicting a blizzard tonight. Oh, I hope not! It would be terrible if we were snowed in."

Serenity didn't say anything in response, thinking she wouldn't mind at all if they were forced to stay overnight. That way she would be able to spend even more time in the intriguing Lord Hawkeye's company.

About half an hour later, the horse-drawn carriage pulled up in front of the earl's magnificent country estate. A butler dressed in black greeted them at the entrance. Diana was sent to the room where the other guests' servants were all assembled, while the butler led Serenity to a large, dimly lit chamber filled with people garbed in elaborate costumes.

Even inside the house, a chill still permeated the air - although Serenity wondered if it was really the cold or the creepy decorations that produced it. Lord Hawkeye had spared no expense in setting the proper atmosphere for his guests. If she didn't know better, she might think the mansion truly was haunted.

Thanks to her sequin-encrusted domino mask and the lack of bright light, it was difficult for her to make out where she was going. While searching for the host amongst the crowd, Serenity accidentally ran into someone. "Oh, forgive me, I didn't see you there."

"No, the fault is mine, Your Highness," the man said, his voice faintly familiar. He bowed and kissed her hand. "Welcome to my humble abode. I'm so pleased you were able to come."

Serenity blushed, realizing immediately who he must be even though his face was partially obscured by a mask like everybody else in the room. "The pleasure is mine, Lord Hawkeye. Thank you for the invitation."

He smiled. "You're wearing the necklace I sent you. It suits you well, as I knew it would."

She placed a hand over the glittering jewels she wore around her neck. That must have been how he recognized her even in costume. "It's a beautiful piece. I must thank you for giving it to me."

"It once belonged to Nehelenia, the late Duchess of Dead Moon," he said, rather boldly linking his arm through hers and leading her to a less crowded area of the room. "According to some, there's a dreadful curse attached to it."

"A curse?"

"Ridiculous, isn't it? It's remarkable what some people will believe."

"I agree," she said. "In fact, just the other day, Lady Vesta tried to convince me that you were a -"

"A vampire?"

She frowned. "Yes, actually. How did you know?"

Lord Hawkeye chuckled. "I'm not unaware of the rumors swirling around me. Why do you think I chose this costume?"

Brought to her attention, Serenity became aware for the first time that he was dressed in traditional "vampire" garb - a fancy tuxedo, long cape, and fangs so convincing that for a moment she almost thought they were real. "You certainly have a sense of humor about it."

He pulled his cape in front of his face and said in an exaggerated accent, "I must give the people vat they vant!"

She giggled, never expecting him to have such a great sense of humor. He didn't seem to care at all about what others thought of him, a refreshing change from the other nobles she knew for whom their image was everything. "Is that so?"

"Of course." As a waiter dressed in devilish red passed near them, Lord Hawkeye snatched a glass of champagne from the tray and held it out to her. "Care for a drink, Your Highness?"

"Thank you." She accepted the glass and took a small sip of the bubbly liquid. "Delicious!" Upon noticing that he hadn't taken a glass for himself, she asked, "You're not drinking, my lord?"

"No, I don't have much of a taste for champagne. I prefer more…sanguine refreshments," he said, running his tongue over his fake fangs.

"In that case, shall I offer to let you suck my blood?" Serenity teased, playing along with his game.

"Careful, Your Highness, or I may just take you up on that offer."

Feeling flustered, Serenity took another drink and watched the dancers twirling in the center of the room. She didn't recognize any of the other guests, whose elaborate masks and wigs hid their identities. She briefly wondered if Juno and Pallas had been invited as well, but neither of them had mentioned plans to attend Lord Hawkeye's masquerade the last time she spoke to them. Vesta, of course, would not have come even if she had received an invitation.

"May I have this dance, milady?" he asked, offering his arm as the string quartet struck up a popular waltz.

"Of course."

Serenity set her half-drunk glass of champagne down on a nearby table and allowed Lord Hawkeye to lead her onto the dance floor.

While they danced, her attention was caught by a beautiful woman wearing a wavy teal-colored wig and her partner, who Serenity could not discern at first glance was male or female. The person wore men's clothes, but their costume did not entirely hide the subtle feminine curves of their body.

"Yes, they are indeed both women," Lord Hawkeye said, answering Serenity's unasked question.

Her eyes widened. "Oh, my!"

"Does that shock you?" He laughed, amused by her reaction, and pulled Serenity even closer toward him. "Do you know the origin of Lost Souls' Day, Your Highness?"

"It's a minor religious holiday where people pray for the souls of those kept in Purgatory, is it not?"

"That's what the Church claims, at least."

She glanced up at him, cocking her head to the side. "It's not true?"

"The date was originally celebrated as a pagan festival of debauchery. It was said that whatever sins or crimes you committed on that day were forgiven, and it was common for large masked orgies to be held where people were free to act out their most private and forbidden fantasies without fear of discovery," he explained. "Of course, when the Church was formed, they condemned the practice and set the day aside to pray for the 'wicked lost souls' who participated in the orgies. After a while, the original festival was forgotten to history as the worship of the old gods died out in favor of the new religion, and the purpose of Lost Souls' Day was changed to pray for the souls in Purgatory instead. The only connection to its pagan roots are the secular masquerades we hold today."

"How fascinating." Her governess Miss Trista never mentioned that story during their lessons.

"Isn't it? That's why I hold this masque every year. It's an opportunity for people to indulge in their secret passions without judgment, just as in the olden days."

"I-Is that so?" Serenity's cheeks burned as she remembered her own private fantasies, but she shook her head, pushing the naughty thoughts out of her mind. "But you invited my parents and my grandmother to this party as well. Was that wise?"

"I knew they already had previous engagements and would not be able to attend. However, I thought they might question my intentions if I only invited you, so I extended the invitation to your entire family."

"Did you want to see me that much?"

"Yes," he admitted, lifting up her chin and lightly brushing his lips against hers. "Very much so, Your Highness."

At that moment, the current song came to an end. Lord Hawkeye took a half-dazed Serenity by the hand and led her off the dance floor, along with all the other couples. The guests began gathering around in a circle, a sense of quiet anticipation filling the air.

"What is happening?" Serenity asked, once she regained her bearings.

Lord Hawkeye winked and turned her so that she was facing toward the center. "Watch and see for yourself."

A short time later, an exquisitely beautiful dark-haired woman took center stage, draped in a sheet wrapped around her lithe body like a toga. Many of the men hooted and whistled at her but fell silent when the music started up again, signaling the beginning of her performance. The toga the woman wore fell to the floor, revealing a short, see-though silk dress that did absolutely nothing to preserve her modesty. Every private part of her was on display through the fabric - most prominently her pink nipples, which were hard and fully erect due to the chill in the room.

Serenity gasped and looked away.

"No, don't turn away," Lord Hawkeye whispered into her ear from his spot behind her. "It would be rude not to watch her show, after all. She's very talented."

Unable to deny her curiosity, Serenity turned her gaze back toward the woman, who had begun dancing seductively for the guests. She had never seen a performance quite like it. The woman's dancing resembled in parts both ballet and gymnastics, showing off her body's amazing flexibility. Midway through the routine, a servant brought out a simple wooden chair, which the woman used to perform even more amazing maneuvers and contortions.

Entranced, Serenity watched the erotic dancer, only vaguely aware that Lord Hawkeye had slipped his hand inside the top of her bodice and was fondling one of her breasts. "Who is she?"

Lord Hawkeye chuckled. "Well, she likes to claim she is a priestess of Mars, the ancient pagan god of war, but she's really just a washed-up burlesque star now working for a house of ill-refute."

"She's a prostitute?"

He didn't need to answer, for at that moment, the woman beckoned for a blond man from the audience to join her. A couple of his friends pushed him forward, cheering encouragement as the woman began divesting him of his elaborate military costume. When the man was entirely naked except for his mask, she pushed him down on the chair, stripped off her own dress, then straddled his lap.

Fascinated by the forbidden nature of the act, Serenity was unable to look away. "I shouldn't be watching this," she moaned, arching her back against Lord Hawkeye, who was now fondling both of her breasts. As everybody else's eyes were glued to the fornicating couple, nobody paid them any attention. "Oh, god… Oh, god… Please stop…"

"Do you really want me to stop?"

"No." She sucked in a sharp breath when he pinched one of her hard nipples through the fabric of her dress. "No, it feels so good…"

By the time the man and woman reached climax, ending the act, Serenity was thoroughly aroused.

"Shall we continue this somewhere a little more…private?" Lord Hawkeye whispered, kissing her bared shoulder.

Serenity, her cheeks flushed a deep red, nodded her consent and let him take her by the hand, leading her upstairs.

Lord Hawkeye ushered her into magnificent bedroom that almost put her room at the palace to shame. Decorated in dark red and gold, it was a place of erotic fantasy. A large canopy bed stood draped in velvet brocade curtains and silken sheets, while paintings of women in various stages of undress hung from the walls. Serenity averted her eyes from the images, causing him to laugh at her prudishness.

"You've never done anything like this before, have you?" he asked, lifting her chin so that she stared into his blood-red eyes.

"N-No, of course not. I'm not that kind of woman."

"Yet here you are in my bedchambers, willingly alone with a man who is not your husband. It would seem that you actually are that kind of woman, Your Highness." After taking off his gloves, he softly caressed her cheek with the back of his cold hand. "But I do not judge you. Whatever sins you commit tonight will be forgiven by the gods, so do not feel guilty for giving into your lustful desires."

"I won't," Serenity declared, pushing aside her final doubts, "so make love to me, my lord."

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Father Helios held up a hand, stopping her from saying anything further. He had heard quite enough. "You needn't continue. I can guess what came after that."

The princess - he still couldn't quite believe he was in the presence of royalty - lowered her gaze. "You must think terribly of me, Father."

"No, not at all," he said. "I would never."

"As a princess, I lived a very sheltered life," she continued, still looking down her folded hands. "I know my parents and my grandmother meant well, but I was always expected to be perfect, the very picture of virtue. When I met Lord Hawkeye, he awakened a part of me I never knew existed."

Helios nodded his understanding, having heard the story many times before in confession. Sadly, it was hardly an uncommon occurrence for older, more experienced men to prey on virginal young maidens, wooed by words of love. "He seduced you."

"Yes, but I wanted to be seduced. He didn't make me do anything I didn't want to do, except…" She brought one of her hands to her neck. "I don't remember much after he…turned me. I must have passed out. The next thing I knew, you found me abandoned on the side of the road. I think he must have intended me to burn when the sun rose." She dropped her hand and wrapped her arms around herself as if she felt a chill in the air, although that was, of course, impossible for a being like her. "He never really cared for me at all."

"Did you love him?"

Serenity shook her head. "I don't know. I barely knew him. I think I confused infatuation with love. I was such an idiot."

"No, you were only human," Helios said, to which Serenity responded with a derisive chuckle.

"Yes, I suppose I _was_ human, wasn't I?"

Helios blushed, regretting his poor choice of words. He should have known better to say such a thing. "I'm sorry. Please, forgive me, I-I didn't mean -"

"It's fine, Father," she said, looking up and giving him a weak smile. "I know you meant no offense."

"I'm sorry," he repeated.

"I told you -"

He shook his head. "Not about that," he said, letting out a sigh as he reached for the cold hand she had placed on the mattress. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to do more for you, Miss Serenity. I can forgive your sins, but I can't turn you back into a human. It was preposterous for me to even think I could."

"It doesn't matter anymore," she said, turning her gaze away from his. "I've made my peace with it. You've done more than enough."

"But -"

Releasing her hand from his grip, Serenity stood up and took the tray from his lap. "Dawn is drawing near. I should return to the cellar before one of the nuns comes by with your breakfast. Goodnight, Father."

"Good night, Miss Serenity."

When the door closed behind her, Helios rolled over on his side, intending to try to get some sleep. He noticed that Serenity had forgotten her sketchbook, which lay discarded on the nightstand. Curiosity got the best of him. He sat back up and flipped through the drawings until he reached the one she had been working on.

Though only half-finished, Helios thought it had the potential to be her best yet. It was a self-portrait of the princess, dressed in one of the fanciful gowns she had probably worn in her former life. The face in the picture was smiling, but the smile didn't quite seem to reach her melancholic eyes. The portrait was amazingly life-like; the few minor differences between Serenity and the girl in the picture were most likely due to the fact that she could no longer see her reflection in the mirror, a realization that broke his heart. Had she drawn the portrait so she wouldn't forget what she looked like?

Helios closed the sketchbook and placed it back where he had found it. He shouldn't have looked through her drawings without her permission. He sensed that portrait had been meant for her eyes only.

Before going back to sleep, he brought his hands together in prayer.

_Please, Lord, I don't care what happens to me, but if it is at all possible, give Miss Serenity back her mortality. She made some mistakes, but she's a good, decent person who doesn't deserve what happened to her. Please, save her, I beg you. That's all I ask._

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The night Serenity confessed her sins to Father Helios was his last "good" day. His health took a sharp turn for the worst the following day and never improved, even with the help of Dr. Waters' experimental medication. The doctor herself came by the rectory for a final check-up a week later, during which she announced that there was nothing more anybody could do for him.

He was dying.

Serenity was impressed by the grace and dignity with which he took the news of his quickly impending death. Had she been in his shoes, she was certain she would have cried night and day, cursing the injustice of it all, yet he showed a calm acceptance of the inevitable.

She, on the other hand, was finding it difficult to deal with the fact that Helios would soon be gone, leaving her on her own. Her emotions swayed from anger to sadness to jealousy as she continued to watch him waste away in his final days, and she seriously contemplated going through with what she first planned the night they met, allowing herself to be burned to death by the sun's morning rays. After all, once Helios was dead, there was nothing left for her but an eternity of loneliness. She had no home, no family, no friends… Not as long as she remained a monster.

All she had was Helios.

But Serenity knew he would be angered if he suspected what she was considering. He had risked his life in that snowstorm in order to save hers; how could she possibly repay him by throwing it away? So, she lied and told Helios that she would find a way to manage on her own when he passed, that he had nothing to worry about.

"Good," he had said, nodding back to sleep. "I'm glad…"

Helios slept most of the time now, although never very well. Dr. Waters had given him a bottle of powerful sedatives, but he only used them as a last resort, when the pain got to the point where it was too much for him to bear. Serenity encouraged him to take them more often, hating watching him suffer so much, but he steadfastly refused, saying he didn't want to spend his last days in a medicated fog.

Sighing, she reached for the compress placed upon his brow and dunked it in a bowl of melted snow. He moaned and stirred in his sleep, but didn't awaken. While the cloth soaked in the water, Serenity pressed her cold hand against his forehead and noted that he was still quite warm. His fever wasn't breaking. She didn't know what else to do.

Of course, there was nothing else she could do. It wouldn't be too much longer; she doubted Helios would make it through the night. He was in the final stage of the disease, and nothing short of a miracle could save him now. Unfortunately, she had long ago stopped believing in miracles.

Serenity reached for his hand. "Father, please don't go," she begged, her voice shaking with emotion. "I… I love you."

The words slipped out of her mouth without thought, but the moment she said them aloud, she knew beyond a doubt they were true. She loved him so, so much. What she felt for Lord Hawkeye couldn't even begin to compare to how she felt about Helios, a pale imitation of the real thing.

Though she thought he was still asleep, Helios's eyes fluttered open at the sound of her voice, and a weak smile crossed his lips as he turned his face toward her. "I love you, too," he said in a hoarse whisper.

She shook her head, realizing that he hadn't meant the words in the romantic sense she had. "No, not that kind of love. I'm _in_ love with you, Helios," Serenity said, calling him by name for the first time. With her free hand, she brushed a lock of white-blond hair out of his eyes. "I have been, for a very long time. Maybe ever since we met, on that cold, snowy night. Even though I tried my best to push you away, you did your best to try to save me anyway." She again shook her head. "No, you _did_ save me. If you hadn't come after me that night…"

"Miss Serenity…"

"I want to repay the favor. Please, let me save you this time."

His eyes widened as it dawned of him what she was suggesting. "Do you mean -?"

"Yes, let me turn you." She squeezed his hand, bringing it to her lips. "If you become a vampire, you can be saved, and we be together for all eternity. It's really not so bad once you get used to it."

Helios let out a sound that was almost a chuckle. "Don't lie to a priest. You hate it."

"I do, but - As long as we're together, I think I could bear it," she admitted. "Think about it. We can run away to the Far North. There aren't many people up there, and the days are shorter, too. The cold won't bother you, I promise. We'll build a windowless house there, and live together as husband and wife. I don't think we could have children, but -"

"Miss Serenity, please, stop," he interrupted. "Don't say things like that."

"Won't you even consider it?"

He stroked the back of his hand against her cheek, his skin warm with fever, and let out a sigh. "No, because if I do, I know I'll say 'yes'."

"Then say 'yes'. All you have to do is say the word."

"You know I can't."

"Yes, you can. It's easy. You're just making it difficult."

"Oh, how I wish that was true, my maiden."

"But -"

Serenity released her hold on his hand, setting it back down on the mattress. It was pointless to argue with his decision. God would always be first in his heart; she'd known that from the very start. Helios hadn't even said he loved her back, although she knew he did without having to hear the words. She could sense it in the gentle way he looked at her.

Oh, what life might have been like if the circumstances had been different, if she was still human and he wasn't a priest…

"Helios!"

Just then, Helios sat upright and began coughing violently, a flood of the odious black blood gushing from his mouth. Serenity grabbed a bucket from beside the bed and held it under his chin, wishing there was something else she could do to at least make his last moments more bearable.

After what seemed like an eternity, the coughing fit finally subsided. Helios laid back down against his pillow and craned his neck to look over at Serenity. "Thank you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"For what?" she asked. She began using a wet washcloth to wipe the blood off his face. "I haven't done anything at all for you."

"That's not true. You've stayed by my side to the very end." He looked back up at the ceiling. "I'm no longer afraid of dying, Serenity. As long as you are here with me…"

His words trailed off, followed by a haggard wheeze.

"Father?"

Serenity rose from her seat, stifling a shout when she saw that his eyes were closed and he was no longer breathing. It was too soon! She thought they would have at least a couple more hours together…

"Helios, wake up!" she pleaded, lightly shaking his motionless body by the shoulders. "Please, open your eyes. I beg you, please!"

But he remained unresponsive.

Helios was gone.

Serenity, realizing it, sat down on the edge of the bed and stared down at him. He looked peaceful, as if he was merely sleeping and seeing some beautiful dream. Leaning over him, she lowered herself and kissed Helios on his blood-covered lips. In contrast to the awful smell it emitted, the blood actually tasted rather sweet.

"Goodbye, my love," she said softly, placing his rosary in his folded hands. "Go with God."

A tear rolled down her cheek as Serenity sat back up. She wiped it away with the palm of her hand, surprised. As a vampire, she thought she had long lost her ability to cry. She then turned to look at the mirror hanging on the wall behind her and gasped.

Her reflection - her true reflection - was staring back at her from the glass.

"W-Why?"

She stood up and slowly walked toward the mirror, still staring at the image in disbelief. Gone were her pink hair and red eyes, and some of the color had returned to her cheeks as well. She looked like her normal self again. But how?

Serenity brought two fingers to her lips and glanced back at Helios's body. There was only one thing…

"The black blood? It was the cure all along?"

More tears came, but she made no attempt to stop them, dropping to her knees at the foot of his bed and welcoming the sensation that she thought she would never feel again.

Helios had kept his promise after all.


End file.
